April 12, (THEWILL) — Marie Louise Eta has been appointed interim head coach of Union Berlin, becoming the first female coach to take charge of a men’s side in a top-flight European league.
The appointment follows the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, along with assistant coaches Danilo de Souza and Kevin McKenna, in a decision confirmed just before midnight on Saturday.
Managing director Horst Heldt cited an “absolutely disappointing second half of the season” and said he no longer believes “a turnaround can be achieved with the current set-up.”
Eta, who currently oversees the club’s Under-19 side and is set to lead the women’s team from this summer, accepted the role with measured confidence.
“I’m grateful that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task,” she said.
“One of Union’s strengths has always been to come together and pool all our resources in tough situations. And of course, I firmly believe that we will pick up the crucial points with this team.”
Heldt expressed support for the decision, stating he was pleased Eta had agreed to step into the role.
The club’s immediate priority, he made clear, is accumulating points to preserve their Bundesliga status.
Baumgart, a former Union Berlin striker who featured for the club between 2002 and 2004, returned to the dugout in January 2025.
Union had collected 23 points after the first half of the campaign but added only nine more following the winter restart.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
