Football membership rent first feminine supervisor in Europe’s prime 5 leagues in relegation battle
Union Berlin sacked Steffen Baumgart on Saturday following their 3–1 defeat to relegation‑threatened Heidenheim and hired the first woman to manage a club in Europe’s five major leagues
Marie‑Louise Eta will take interim charge of Union Berlin(Image: Getty Images)
German club Union Berlin have made football history by appointing Marie-Louise Eta as their head coach, marking her as the first woman to ever lead a top-tier team in Europe’s five major leagues.
Steffen Baumgart was given his marching orders on Saturday, with Eta promptly named as his replacement and tasked with guiding the club to Bundesliga survival. Union Berlin’s loss to bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim proved to be the last straw for Baumgart, prompting swift action from the club’s management. The team currently sits in 11th position but has yet to officially secure their place in the top flight.
They maintain an 11-point buffer over the relegation zone, and it would take a monumental collapse for them to face demotion. Nevertheless, the club has entrusted Eta with leading the squad through the rest of the season. The 34-year-old has been given temporary charge, having already been announced as the women’s team manager starting this summer.
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Eta said: “Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure. 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.”
Other European clubs have previously appointed women to managerial roles, though never at a top-flight level. In 2014, French side Clermont Foot named Corinne Diacre as the first female boss in French men’s football history.
She followed in the footsteps of Carolina Morace, who had been the only woman to manage a professional men’s team in Europe during her short spell with third-tier Italian outfit Viterbese.
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Union Berlin have now made a comparable move, albeit on a much bigger stage, and remain convinced their decision will produce the results they need.
Horst Heldt, the club’s sporting director, said: “We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season so far and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position.
“Our situation remains precarious and we urgently need points to secure our place in the league. Two wins from fourteen matches since the winter break and the performances shown in recent weeks do not give us the confidence that we can still turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.”
“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.”
