Union Berlin condemn 'embarassing' misogynistic abuse aimed at new female head coach Marie-Louise Eta

Martin Macdonald

• 14 Apr 2026 10:01 CDT
• 5 min read

News

Union Berlin have condemned the sexist and misogynistic abuse aimed at new head coach Marie-Louise Eta.

The 34-year-old made history on 12 April when she became the first female to be named as head coach or manager in a club within the top five leagues in Europe - the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue or, in this case, the Bundesliga.

Union Berlin sacked former boss Steffen Baumgart with the club languishing in 11th in the German top flight after a run of just one win in six matches which included a 3-1 defeat against Heidenheim on Saturday.

Eta was appointed the day after and will take charge of the men's team for the remainder of the campaign before taking over the women's team on a full-time basis next season.

Since the announcement was made, the club and Eta have had to deal with a series of sexist remarks on social media.

"It's just embarrassing. I've noticed it, but I also refuse to read or even just expose myself to that kind of nonsense because for me this is about quality - leadership quality," director of football Horst Heldt said.

"We have 100% confidence in Loui - complete conviction. I find it insane that we have to deal with this in this day and age.

"We're talking about a highly competent leader here, and you can be sure that everyone here at Union, whether in the stands or within the club itself, stands 100% behind this decision and will do everything in their power to ensure that this doesn't lead to any further discussion in the future."

As a player, Eta won the Women's Champions League with Turbine Potsdam and has been carving out an impressive career as a coach since retiring.

Prior to becoming the first female coach in a top-five league, she was the first female assistant coach in a top five league, also with Union Berlin.

All eyes will be on Union Berlin's next fixture at home to Wolfsburg on Saturday, which will be a historic occasion as she steps into the dugout for the first time.

Heldt said Eta will take charge of her first training session on Tuesday and that she is "getting a handle on things very, very quickly".

"She had a great run with the U19s team, so she's already fulfilled a role as head coach and is experienced," he said.

"Another advantage is that we all know her and she knows us. She doesn't need to be shown the ropes here - she knows it all. She knows the stadium, the atmosphere, the people and, above all, the players.

"We're convinced that a head coach can only truly be a head coach if they've held that role before, which is why she is the logical next step."

Expert opinion: Eta's appointment no PR stunt

Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy told FootballTransfers: "The Bundesliga was always going to be the most likely top-level league to appoint a female manager to a men's team, particularly after Sabrina Wittmann broke the glass ceiling in Germany's professional leagues, becoming head coach of 3. Liga side Ingolstadt in 2024. After a successful interim spell, she became permanent head coach and is now more than just another third-tier boss, but rather a benchmark and a promotional asset for German football. Just last month, international media met and sat down with Wittmann, with extensive features written about her groundbreaking achievements in some of publishing's biggest names.

"'I’ll always be the first woman in Germany coaching a professional men’s team, but I want to be seen as a coach,' Wittmann said in those interviews. Little did she know that one of her peers would be managing a Bundesliga team just five weeks later. German clubs have always given opportunities to less experienced coaches, such as Julian Nagelsmann being appointed Hoffenheim head coach at 28. A decade later, he's guiding Germany to the World Cup where there are calls for him to bring back Manuel Neuer to the fold, despite the goalkeeper being a couple of years his senior.

"The appointments of Wittmann and Marie-Louise Eta are not just for publicity or attention. These are highly-regarded coaches in a system that focuses extensively on training and development, and their gender is just a footnote compared to their abilities. Women coaches in German football are nothing new. They've been training them for decades. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany international Doreen Meier did her coaching training in Cologne alongside Thomas Tuchel, who is also bringing a national team to the World Cup.

"East Germany may have had many faults, but the promotion of women in the workplace was a key aspect of the country's policies. So it is probably not surprising that a team from the former East has become the first major club to appoint a female head coach. Eta has already seen everything at Union Berlin, even working as an assistant to the men's team in the Champions League and stepped in as temporary coach two years ago when Union's boss was serving a touchline ban. She is due to take charge of the club's women's team at the end of the season, but if the next few weeks go well, it would not be a surprise to see her follow Wittmann's lead and become the permanent head coach of a men's team."

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