Union Berlin, under the leadership of Marie-Louise Eta, secured a historic 3-1 victory over Mainz in the 33rd matchday of the Bundesliga on Friday. This win marked the first time a female head coach has triumphed in Germany’s top football division.
Eta, who took over as head coach on April 12, had previously suffered two defeats—against Wolfsburg (2-1) on April 18 and RB Leipzig (3-1) on April 25—before drawing 2-2 with Cologne on May 2. The 34-year-old’s breakthrough victory not only set a Bundesliga record but also made her the first female coach to win a match in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
Before her appointment as head coach, Eta had been coaching Union Berlin’s youth team since July 2025, and she is set to lead the club’s women’s team this summer. In November 2023, she became the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history when she joined Union’s staff. She made headlines again in January 2024 when she guided the team from the sideline during a win over Darmstadt as head coach Nenad Bjelica served a suspension.
Eta’s appointment on April 12 made her the first woman to ever manage a men’s football club in any of Germany, England, Italy, Spain, or France’s top divisions—previously, women had only held such roles in second-tier clubs.
