Marie-Louise Eta becomes first woman to manage a club in major European leagues

Marie-Louise Eta has become the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in Europe’s top five leagues after being named head coach of Union Berlin to the end of the season.

Eta has been handed the reins after Steffen Baumgart was sacked on Saturday following a 3-1 loss to the Bundesliga’s bottom side Heidenheim.

The 34-year-old Eta, a Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam in 2010, has been working as Union Berlin’s under-19s coach this season and is due to take charge of the club’s women’s side from the summer.

She previously worked as an assistant to the club’s former men’s head coach Nenad Bjelica and handled media duties after a Bundesliga game in 2024 when Bjelica was serving a touchline ban.

Eta will now be tasked with turning around the form of a Union Berlin side who have won only two of their last 14 league games, leaving them seven points clear of the relegation play-off spot.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” Eta said on the club’s website.

“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.”

Union director of men’s football Horst Heldt 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 14 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.”

Carolina Morace became the first woman to manage a men’s professional team in Europe when she took charge of Italian third division side Viterbese in 1999.

In July 2023 Forest Green appointed Hannah Dingley as caretaker boss, although she did not take charge of a competitive fixture.