After Marie-Louise Eta was promoted to coach at 1. FC Union Berlin, the Bundesliga club defended itself against sexist comments on social media.
“But that’s exactly what you are, a sexist,” the people from Köpenick, for example, respond to a condescending post from a user on X. He had written: “The Bundesliga coach who loses against them has lost face forever. I think there is hardly anything more embarrassing.”
The Union family is behind her, the Köpenick team defended their coach against hate comments and described her as a “football goddess”. To a post that no player takes a woman seriously when she talks about tactics or football, the Iron Men replied: “With all love, but that’s sexism.” Many users praised the association for this reaction.
The 34-year-old Eta is the first female head coach in the upper house after Steffen Baumgart’s surprising departure; she will take over Union’s professional team until the end of the season. The personnel change is discussed controversially and sometimes unobjectively on the Internet.
First a player, then a coach
The Dresden native once played football at the highest level. At the age of 13 she moved to Turbine Potsdam, and three years later she became a professional player there. Great successes followed: three German championships and winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2010.
Her coaching career began in 2018 at Werder Bremen. She ended her active career there at the age of 26 and took on a role in the club’s youth coaching department – the first woman to hold this position at Werder. The next historic step followed at the end of 2023: After Urs Fischer was fired, she became the first woman to become assistant coach of a Bundesliga club in the men’s division.
Broadcast: Fritz from rbb, April 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m
Audio: Fritz from rbb, April 13, 2026, Timo Mascheski
