29 January 2024 , 12:05
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Marie-Louise Eta made history as she became the first female coach to manage, and win, a game in the Bundesliga, leading Union Berlin to a 1-0 victory over Darmstadt on Sunday.
Eta made waves when she became the first-ever woman appointed to a Bundesliga coaching staff In November. And the 32-year-old took charge of the club on Sunday after head coach Nenad Bjelica was suspended for his fracas with Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane in their previous match.
Bjelica appeared to have attempted to keep the ball from the German winger as Union trailed 1-0 at the Allianz Arena, leading to a clash between Sane and the Croatian coach who eventually shoved the former Manchester City winger in the face.
The actions, which sparked a mass brawl between the two teams, earned Bjelica a three-match ban and left Eta in charge of Union Berlin.
And the former Champions League winner marked her debut with an historic triumph as Union forward Benedict Hollerbach netted a winner just after the hour mark. The victory secured the club an important three points to keep them in 15th place, six points above relegation-stalked FC Cologne in 16th.
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Eta previously played in the women's Bundesliga with Turbine Potsdam, with whom she was crowned a three-time league winner as well as a Champions League winner in 2010.
Eta’s playing career also saw her enjoy stints with Hamburg, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen before retiring in 2018 to focus on coaching. After completing her pro-coaching licence, Eta stepped up to manage Germany Women’s under-17s before being brought onboard at Union to work with Marco Grote as assistant coach with the club’s under-19s side.
(L-R) Marie-Louise Eta, Germany women under-15s assistant coach, stands with head coach Bettina Wiegmann (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB)This season has been markedly challenging for Union, who finished fourth last season to earn their first-ever Champions League group stage spot and culminate the club's most successful chapter in its history.
Indeed, boss Urs Fischer was sacked following a nine-game losing streak that left Union rooted to the bottom of Germany’s top-flight and their Champions League group in November. Fischer's dismissal saw the club promote Eta from under-19s assistant coach to first-team assistant coach alongside Grote, who was interim manager of the club for one game before Bjelica's appointment.
Union face a daunting trip to fifth-place RB Leipzig for Eta's next match in charge, with a crucial bout against relegation rival Mainz to follow.