Marie-Louise Eta Makes History as First Woman to Manage Bundesliga Club
1. FC Union Berlin have appointed Marie-Louise Eta as their new head coach, making her the first woman to take permanent charge of a men's Bundesliga club. The 34-year-old German, who was the club's U19s coach, replaces Steffen Baumgart with the immediate task of securing the club's top-flight status. The club confirmed the appointment on Sunday, with Eta signing a contract for the remainder of the season.
Eta, a former professional player who won the UEFA Women's Champions League with Turbine Potsdam, makes history by becoming the first woman to take the helm of a men's team in one of Europe's 'Big Five' leagues. She takes over a Union side sitting 11th in the Bundesliga, seven points clear of the relegation play-off spot with five games remaining.
Her appointment marks a rapid rise for the former Germany youth international, who was forced to retire from playing at 26 due to injury. She transitioned into coaching, earning her elite coaching license (Fußball-Lehrer Lizenz) in 2022. She joined Union Berlin's academy in 2023 as an assistant coach for the U19s, and was promoted to the first-team staff as an assistant in November 2023, becoming the first female coach in Bundesliga history to be part of a men's first-team staff.
Her appointment has been welcomed within the club. Former Union midfielder Lucas Tousart, now at Werder Bremen, told L'Équipe, 'A girl or a guy, it's the same as long as you have the skills. And she has them.' Club president Dirk Zingler has previously expressed his support for Eta's development, having identified her as a potential head coach.
Eta's first game in charge will be a crucial home fixture against 1. FC Köln this weekend. In a statement on the club's website, Eta said: 'I am looking forward to this challenging task. One of Union's strengths has always been our ability to stick together in difficult moments. I am convinced we will pick up the decisive points we need.' Her immediate task is to secure the points needed to guarantee survival, with the club currently seven points above the relegation playoff spot.
The 34-year-old's appointment is seen as a landmark moment for the German game. Eta's coaching career began at Werder Bremen's academy in 2018. She later served as an assistant for Germany's U19 and U17 women's teams before her move to Union Berlin. Her only previous first-team head coaching experience came in a brief interim spell in January 2024, where she took charge of a single Bundesliga match, a 1-0 win over Darmstadt, while then-manager Nenad Bjelica was suspended.
