In a first for Europe’s top soccer leagues, a woman has been hired to coach a men’s team. Marie-Louise Eta has been hired as the interim coach of Union Berlin before she begins her tenure as the head coach of Union’s women’s team later this summer.
According to CBS Sports, former Union Berlin head coach Steffen Baumgart and several of his assistant coaches were fired over the weekend when the team fell to 11th position in the Bundesliga — Germany’s national league — and carried a significant losing record.
Eta takes the reigns with an accomplished coaching resume, including the first woman to serve as an assistant coach in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. She also served as head coach of Union Berlin for one game when another former coach, Nenad Bjelica, was suspended for a single game.
“We have therefore decided to make a fresh start,” said Horst Heldt, Union’s director of men’s professional football. “I am delighted that Marie Louise Eta has agreed to take on this role on an interim basis before becoming head coach of the women's professional team in the summer as planned.”
Prior to her professional coaching career, Eta played for Werder Bremen and was a youth international athlete for the national team. She also coached youth soccer under the women’s national team organization.
"Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure," Eta said. "I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union's strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations. And, of course, I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points with the team."
As the Bundesliga season approaches it’s end, Eta will have only a handful of games to turn around Union Berlin’s losing season and secure the team’s future.
Said Heldt, "We've had an completely disappointing second half of the season so far and we're not letting the table fool us -- our situation remains precarious and we desperately need points to secure our place in the league."
