Marie-Louise Eta has shattered another glass ceiling in European football, becoming the first woman appointed to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues. The 34-year-old will take over as interim head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin until the season's end, following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart after a disappointing 3-1 loss to bottom-placed FC Heidenheim.
Union Berlin currently sits 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga, holding an 11-point buffer above the automatic relegation zone with just five matches remaining. However, the club's recent form has been concerning, with only two victories in their last 14 league appearances in 2026.
"We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position," said Horst Heldt, Union's director of men's football. "Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start."
Eta is no stranger to making history in German football. She became the Bundesliga's first female assistant coach with Union Berlin in November 2023, and in January 2024, she stepped in as interim manager during Nenad Bjelica's suspension, becoming the first woman to lead a Bundesliga team from the touchline during a 1-0 victory over Darmstadt.
A former Germany youth international and Women's Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, Eta has been managing Union Berlin's under-19s since July 2025 and is scheduled to become the club's women's head coach this summer.
Eta acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting Union's seven-point lead over St Pauli, who currently occupy the relegation play-off position.
"Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure," she stated. "I am delighted 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. I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points."
This appointment marks a significant moment in European football history, coming more than 25 years after Carolina Morace broke ground as the first woman to manage a men's professional team in Europe with Italian third division side Viterbese in 1999. Corinne Diacre later spent three seasons leading Clermont Foot in France's Ligue 2 from 2014 to 2017 before taking charge of the France women's national team. In July 2023, Hannah Dingley became the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football as caretaker boss of Forest Green Rovers, though she didn't lead the team in competitive fixtures.