For the first time in history, a woman will lead a team from the five major European leagues

European football will experience a historic event. After a series of poor results, Union Berlin decided to fire Steffen Baumgart and appointed Marie-Louise Eta as her replacement, thus becoming the first woman to manage a men's team both in the Bundesliga and in the five major leagues in Europe

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This change occurs in a context of sporting urgency.

In the current season with Baumgart in charge, the Berlin team has won just two of its last 14 games and is currently ranked 11th out of 18 with 32 points, just seven above the position of the relegation repechage, with five dates left until the end.

"We've had a hugely disappointing second half of the season so far and we won't be blinded by our position in the league. Our situation remains precarious and we urgently need points to ensure our permanence. We decided to start from scratch,” explained the director of professional football, Horst Heldt

For its part, Eta takes on the challenge on an interim basis in a delicate context, with the aim of scoring the necessary points to avoid the decline. “I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of the Union's strengths has always been, and still is, the ability to join forces in situations like this. And, of course, I am convinced that we will achieve the crucial points with the team,” said the 34-year-old coach

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His arrival is no accident. In 2023, she had already made history by becoming the first woman to be an assistant in the Bundesliga and also in the men's Champions League. In addition, in March 2025, he took over the club's under-19 team and planned to take over the women's squad next season

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Eta's debut will be next weekend against Wolfsburg, in a key match for the immediate future of Union Berlin, which will seek to ensure its permanence in the top flight of German football.