Union Berlin relies on Eta
Experts shower praise on the league’s first female assistant coach
November 22, 2023, 5:06 p.m
Champions League winner, U20 world champion and now the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history. Marie-Louise Eta is the focus of attention at Union Berlin. How long she will be part of the rescue crew at the bottom of the table is still unclear. But she is already breaking boundaries.
Marie-Louise Eta was immediately in the thick of things. In the first training session as Union Berlin’s assistant coach, she meticulously set up the exercises, served as a reference point for passing exercises and exchanged ideas closely with interim coach Marco Grote. The 32-year-old suddenly and unexpectedly comes into focus in the Köpenick team’s sporting plight – and makes history as the first female trainer in over 60 years of the Bundesliga.
“The day has finally come that we see a woman in the male-dominated field of football. She will certainly help shape a lot of the content at Union,” said former German champion and Sky expert Julia Simic about the pioneer: “She definitely has the quality Expertise to fill this role.”
Eta will be really challenged for the first time in the groundbreaking Bundesliga game against FC Augsburg on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de)in which she will most likely sit on the bench next to Grote after long-time successful coach Urs Fischer leaves – and thus fulfill a dream.
Because even as a child she “couldn’t be without the ball for a second”. Your big wish? “At the absolute top level, as a trainer, I want to do my part to be successful,” said Eta in a ZDF documentary just a few months ago. Now the day has come that represents the climax of a constant rise for the Dresden native.
Promotion makes waves
After Eta won the Champions League and the U20 World Cup as a player, among other things, her path as a coach began in the youth ranks of Werder Bremen and led via the DFB juniors to Union’s U19s. Her promotion to the Bundesliga made waves in the media – so much so that national soccer player Kevin Schade separated from his advisor Maik Barthel, who had made disparaging comments about Eta and indirectly denied her competence.
But the number of advocates for the soccer teacher with a pro license is significantly larger. “I’m actually happy about it,” said women’s national coach Horst Hrubesch, who doesn’t know the 32-year-old personally. Former national player Tabea Kemme is sure that Eta will “continue her path in the Bundesliga”.
But first there is the day-to-day business, and that is explosive enough in Köpenick. After 14 games without a win and the exit of club icon Fischer, the Berliners urgently need points at the bottom of the table. President Dirk Zingler trusts Grote and Eta to look after the professional team in the “next few days or weeks” – perhaps even longer if they are successful.