Marie-Louise Eta, 35, is reflecting on a significant year after making history in April as the first woman to lead a men's top-flight team in one of Europe's big five leagues. She stepped in as interim head coach for Union Berlin following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart.
Her primary objective was to keep Union in the Bundesliga, a task she accomplished with two wins, a draw, and two losses across five games. The team ultimately finished 11th. This was not Eta's first trailblazing moment; three years prior, she became the first woman to serve as an assistant coach in the men's Bundesliga, and in 2024, she led the Union men's team in a single game.
Currently, Eta is managing the Union women's side. She told Moving the Goalposts, "For me, it was never about being the first. It quickly became clear that it wasn’t about making history, but about supporting a team and achieving success together once again." She also stated, "I wanted to impress through my work, my performance and my approach as a manager, not because I’m a woman or because I’m supposed to represent or embody something special."
Despite facing sexist abuse on social media, which the club publicly condemned, Eta also received positive messages from women and girls who felt encouraged by her journey. She hopes her path will inspire young girls to pursue their goals, adding, "Ultimately, however, it shouldn’t be gender that decides, but performance and the quality of the work."