The appointment of Marie-Louise Eta as head coach of Union Berlin’s men’s Bundesliga side may have captured global headlines, but few inside the ambitious club were surprised.<\/p>\n
The rapid rise of Union’s women’s side, who Eta will coach from the summer, is a direct result of the club prioritising the team.<\/p>\n
While still in the amateur regional leagues, Union took the unusual step of paying players and coaching staff professionally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Union are putting the finishing touches on a shiny new complex which will become the first training centre in European football with identical facilities for the men’s and women’s teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite playing in the second division last season, Union’s women averaged crowd was 7,190, the best mark in Germany and behind only Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United across Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crowds have continued to climb this season as Union secured their top-flight status for next year.<\/p>\n
Union host powerhouse Bayern Munich on Wednesday and the club expect over 10,000 spectators, having opened up additional stands in their 22,000-capacity Stadion an der Alten Foersterei.<\/p>\n
– ‘It’s about football’ –<\/p>\n
A major reason for the support is the club’s integration into the community in the eastern Berlin suburb of Koepenick<\/p>\n
The club is a core part of Koepenick’s identity, giving rise to the saying: ‘We don’t go to the football, we go to Union’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Current women’s coach Ailien Poese has had a two-decade association with Union and has guided the women’s side through the ranks to the top flight.<\/p>\n
Poese, who will return to the club’s academy when Eta takes over, said fans went to both the men’s and the women’s games “because ultimately it’s about football.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I hope it gets established at many clubs, that it’s their favourite club and there might be a home game every weekend, one week the women’s and the next the men’s,” Poese told AFP.<\/p>\n
“I’m absolutely delighted with the extra attention and the identification with the women’s team.”<\/p>\n
Union forward Hannah Eurlings agreed. “It says a lot about the fans, that they’re just in love with the club. And that’s so nice to see.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eurlings, a Belgian international, signed with Union in the summer and said the club’s focus on women’s football was a key pull factor.<\/p>\n
“For me it was a bit scary to sign for a second Bundesliga team… But the talks I had with the club and with the women’s manager, they were all positive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“They want to make the women’s team equal to the men’s team and also in financial things and also in the facilities we get. I think you don’t find that that often in women’s football, so I think that’s a very big plus for me.”<\/p>\n
– ‘Not a bit of a surprise’ –<\/p>\n
Eurlings said Eta’s appointment is a reflection Union’s values of hard work and merit, while also thinking outside the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s not a bit of a surprise here in the club or in Koepenick… It doesn’t matter what your gender is, do you know a lot about football? You’re the right person for the job.”<\/p>\n
Poese said\u00a0the appointment was “a completely logical decision.”<\/p>\n
“She is highly competent, very good technically and very clear in her work and her footballing ideas.”<\/p>\n
Union are heavy underdogs on Wednesday but even taking on the German giants is an achievement in itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bayern need just a point to claim the women’s Bundesliga title but Poese said her side would relish their role as “party crashers”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eurlings agreed, saying “of course it’s an extra motivation. They think they can become champions on our pitch? Nobody signed up for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“They’re the best team in the league. But of course, in football, you have 90 minutes and if we have a good day, we want to be the party crashers.”<\/p>\n
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