Union Berlin sack Baumgart, appoint Marie-Louise Eta as interim boss
1. FC Union Berlin have parted company with head coach Steffen Baumgart and appointed Marie-Louise Eta as interim manager until the end of the season. The surprise move, confirmed by the club late on Saturday, follows a 3-1 defeat to bottom side FC Heidenheim, Union's 12th match without a win in the Bundesliga.
Sporting director Horst Heldt stated the club had to act, citing a 'deeply disappointing' second half of the season. 'We are playing an absolutely disappointing second half of the season and are not letting ourselves be blinded by the table: our situation remains threatening and we urgently need points to secure our place in the league,' Heldt said in a club statement. He confirmed the departures of Baumgart's assistants, Danilo de Souza and Kevin McKenna.
In a historic appointment, Marie-Louise Eta, the club's current U19 coach, will take charge for the final four games of the Bundesliga season. The 34-year-old becomes the first woman to be named head coach of a men's Bundesliga team. Her appointment is on an interim basis, after which she will take up a pre-arranged role as head coach of Union Berlin's women's team this summer.
Baumgart's departure comes as a surprise given the club had only extended his contract in January. He took over in January 2025 and guided the club to a 13th-place finish last season. However, a dismal run of just two wins from 14 league matches since the winter break has left the club in 14th place, just five points above the relegation play-off spot. 'Two wins from fourteen games since the winter break and the performances in recent weeks have not given us the conviction that a change of direction is possible in the current set-up,' Heldt explained.
Eta is no stranger to the first team, having served as an assistant coach under Nenad Bjelica during the 2023/24 season. 'I am delighted that Marie-Louise Eta has agreed to take on this role on an interim basis,' Heldt said. Eta herself expressed confidence, stating she has the 'conviction that we will get the crucial points' in the battle to avoid relegation. Her first match in charge will be a crucial home fixture against 1. FC Köln next weekend, a direct clash with a relegation rival. The club's decision to appoint from within, and to a historic figure, adds a significant new chapter to Union Berlin's season and the Bundesliga's history.
