Marie-Louise Eta says she wanted to be judged on her work
Marie-Louise Eta made history in April when she became the first woman to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues, taking over as interim head coach of Union Berlin. Keeping the club in the Bundesliga, she compiled a record of two wins, a draw and two losses across five matches, helping Union finish 11th. The milestone has been seen as potentially opening doors for aspiring female coaches at the highest level of men's football.
Eta faced both significant support and sexist abuse on social media during her brief tenure, but has been clear that her focus was on performing to the same standards as her male counterparts rather than representing a broader cause. She emphasised that she wanted to be judged purely on her tactical approach, work and performance as a manager. Now managing Union Berlin's women's team this season, she has shifted her focus to building a team that plays with courage, energy and intensity, having endured a difficult start with four games without a point before securing victories over RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and Magdeburg.
- First woman to manage a men's team in Europe's top five leagues.
- Insisted on equal standards and refused to be defined by gender.
- Now coaching Union women's team with focus on building identity through football.
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Marie-Louise Eta made history in April when she became the first woman to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five football leagues. She took over as interim head coach of Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga and kept the club in the top division with a record of two wins, a draw and two losses across five matches.
The appointment was considered a significant milestone for women in professional football, potentially opening doors for other aspiring female coaches at the highest level. During her tenure, Eta experienced both significant support and sexist abuse on social media, reflecting wider tensions around female representation in men's football.
Despite the milestone status of her appointment, Eta has been clear that she views her role as that of a professional manager first. She has emphasised that she wants to be judged purely on her tactical approach, work and performance, holding herself to the same standards as male counterparts. She is now managing Union Berlin's women's team.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Union Berlin’s Marie-Louise Eta: ‘I wanted to impress through my work, not because I am a woman’”.