The 35-year-old reflects on a momentous year after making history as the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues

In April Marie-Louise Eta became the first woman to lead a men’s top-flight team in one of Europe’s big five leagues, stepping in as interim head coach of Union Berlin following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart. Her job was to keep Union in the Bundesliga and she did just that with two wins, a draw and two losses in her five games. They finished 11th.

It was not the first time the trailblazer had made history. Three years earlier she had become 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 one game. The Bayern Munich manager, Vincent Kompany, described her appointment as something that could open doors for younger women who want to become coaches.

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