Key Takeaways
- Marie-Louise Eta, 32, took charge of Union Berlin on Saturday, becoming the first female head coach in Bundesliga history.
- Despite 26 shots, Union lost 2-1 to Wolfsburg; Eta was still pleased with the team’s fight.
- Club chiefs say the job is only until May; next season she will coach Union’s women’s side.
On a windy afternoon in east Berlin, Kenyan-born coach Marie-Louise Eta walked into the Stadion An der Alten Försterei and wrote a fresh line in European football. The 32-year-old former Germany youth star is now the first woman to take sole charge of a men’s team in one of the continent’s top five leagues.
When the stadium announcer called her name before kick-off, 20 000 throats answered with a new chant: “Fußballgöttin!” – football goddess. The moment felt both huge and ordinary. Eta clapped her hands and pointed to the pitch, signalling it was time for business.
Her first test was a relegation six-pointer against Wolfsburg. Union had won only twice in 14 league games and sacked Steffen Baumgart after a limp loss at bottom club Heidenheim. Eta, who had helped rescue the side on the final day of last season, stepped up from assistant to interim boss.
The players responded. They pressed high, created a flood of chances and peppered 26 shots at the Wolfsburg goal. Yet two sharp finishes from Patrick Wimmer and Dzenan Pejcinovic meant a 2-1 defeat. After the whistle Eta praised the “spirit and structure” she saw, insisting small fixes can turn draws into wins.
Off the pitch, Union’s social media team blasted sexist comments, telling trolls to “take a seat”. Club president Dirk Zingler, however, poured cold water on fairytale talk. He told Sky Germany that Eta’s contract ends in May and she will then lead the club’s women’s team. “If she is brilliant, we will think again, but we will not use her as an experiment,” he said.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich sealed their 35th German title by hitting Stuttgart 4-2. Vincent Kompany’s side scored three goals in five blistering minutes and reached 109 league goals with four matches left, a new Bundesliga record. Harry Kane came off the bench to add the fourth.
Leverkusen’s hopes of a late top-four surge faded after 36 shots failed to beat Augsburg, while Werder Bremen climbed clear of trouble by beating Hamburg 3-1 in the northern derby. Only one point now separates 11th place from 15th, keeping Union – and Eta – firmly in the survival fight.
