He Union Berlin made a move after the defeat against Heidenheim and put in charge of the first team Marie-Louise Eta until the end of the season. The club from the German capital fired Steffen Baumgart after the 3-1 defeat on Matchday 31 and made a decision that is unprecedented in German football: Eta becomes the first female head coach in the history of the men’s Bundesliga.
The Berlin team made the appointment official with the aim of closing the stay as soon as possible. With three days left until the end of the championship, the Union It appears in eleventh position with 31 points, six above the direct relegation places. The margin exists, but so does the urgency, and the club has opted for an immediate solution with someone who knows the house well.
Eta was part of the Union sports structure and until now led the under-19 team. His journey within the club has been constant in recent years and the entity understands that this knowledge of the context may weigh in this final stretch, with the team forced to find stability in the midst of the fight to remain in First Division.
The appointment also comes at a special moment in his career. On April 3, the Union had already announced that Marie-Louise Eta She will be the head coach of the women’s professional team starting next season. Until then, he will continue with his duties in the U-19, although he will now immediately assume responsibility for the men’s team in this championship finale.
The club explained in a statement that the first men’s professional team will face this decisive phase under the direction of Eta and that it will later announce who will fill the vacant position in the under-19 category. Union’s intention is to gather all its forces at a time of maximum demand, with permanence still at stake and with three games left to close the season without a hitch.
A challenge with immediate pressure
Upon his appointment, Eta declared: “I am glad that the club has entrusted me with this demanding responsibility. A strength of Union has been and is that, in situations like this, we unite all forces together. “I am convinced that with the team we will get the decisive points.”
Its premiere will come in a scenario of maximum competitive tension. Union needs points, air and a quick reaction. And in that landscape, with the Bundesliga already entering its final sprint, the bench changes owners for the first time in its history with a woman at the helm.