Marie-Louise Eta arrived with a big smile on her face for Union Berlin training on Tuesday as the first woman in a European top league to take charge of a men’s team.
“Come together, lads,” she said as she addressed the players in a short speech before the exercises in rainy conditions.
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The session was closed for fans but Union president Dirk Zingler was present for the historic occasion along with around 40 German and international media representatives.
Eta mainly watched on during the first half-hour before taking charge when forms of play were trained. “Full throttle,” she shouted, but also “lads, listen.”
Eta was appointed head coach late Saturday for the remaining five games of the Bundesliga season, but possibly also beyond, in succession of Steffen Baumgart, who had to go after a 3-1 defeat at bottom club Heidenheim.
Union are 11th but have won only two of their games in 2026 and are not safe yet seven points above the danger zone.
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Eta’s first match in charge is on Saturday against second-last Wolfsburg. A victory would save Union from the direct drop.
Eta already worked as Union assistant coach in 2023 and before Saturday was in charge of the under-19 team. She is due to take over the women’s Bundesliga team in summer but that may change if she achieves good results with the men’s side.
Diretor of professional football Horst Heldt said that a change at the helm could energise a team and that Eta showed three years ago that she has everything it takes to be successful.
“She knows the stadium, knows the atmosphere, the people and first and foremost the players,” Heldt added.
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Eta’s appointment has made big waves in Germany and abroad.
Union said on Monday they had to deal with some abusive and sexist online comments on her appointment but there was mostly huge praise which continued on Tuesday, also from the men’s old guard.
“It feels a bit strange at first, but times have changed. Even an old crock like me has realised that,” 77-year-old former long-time Bayer Leverkusen general manager Rainer Calmund told broadcasters RTL/ntv.
“You just have to accept that football isn’t a men’s pub gathering; it’s a cut-throat professional business.”
On the women’s side, Claudia Neumann, the first woman to commentate a men’s match on TV at Euro 2016 which made her the target of huge abuse, told dpa: “I’m delighted about this.
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“My first thought was: a charming, astute and logical move by President Dirk Zingler. What’s more, Marie-Louise Eta is an extremely capable coach who absolutely deserves this opportunity. It won’t be a failure – she’ll rise to the challenge.
“It will be years before true equality is achieved. But we need to pave the way first, which is why I think it’s brilliant that Marie-Louise Eta is taking this step. Her promotion will spur further progress.”
German Football Federation vice-president Celia Sasic struck a similar note and said that at this level gender doesn’t matter.
“Someone has opened the door a little bit,” she told RTL/ntv.
“The players just want to win matches. I don’t think they want to bring up any other issues. And in the end, it’s just like in all competitive sport: it’s the results that count.”
Union Berlin new coach Marie-Louise Eta leads the training of the German Bundesliga club 1. FC Union Berlin at the Alte Foersterei. Marie-Louise Eta is the first woman in a European top league to take charge of a men’s team. Matthias Koch/dpa