by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of her first game this Saturday against Wolfsburg, Union Berlin interim coach Marie-Louise Eta demanded that the focus be on football and that gender issues be set aside.
The 34-year-old had recently been appointed the first female head coach in the German men's first league, succeeding Steffen Baumgart. The club said Eta's engagement is outlined for the remaining five games of the 2025/26 season.
A step that drew worldwide attention and sparked widespread appreciation, but was accompanied by what Union sporting director Horst Heldt called "sexist comments."
"It's only about football, a team's unity, and the efforts of a group working together to achieve success," Eta said at a pre-match press conference, in great numbers observed by national and international media.
Her task concerns performance and content, Union's former coach for the club's male under-19 team added.
Eta is set to take over Union's first-tier women's team for the 2026/27 season after she has served as an assistant coach for the men's first-division team twice in recent years.
"She knows everyone in the club; everyone in the club knows her. And all of us are fond of her expertise," Heldt said.
The official added that Eta enjoys the trust and confidence of the entire club as she seeks to secure the side's first-division participation and avoid relegation.
With seven points above the relegation zone, a win on home soil against Wolfsburg, the table's 17th, might ease Union's relegation concerns.
Eta expressed understanding of the public's discussion of gender topics but said, "It's nothing new for me, as I have throughout my career been working with male teams."
Eta said she is looking forward to Saturday's kick-off, "as from then on it's only about football and three points, no matter who the coach is."
The new Union coach received support from several sides, including Vincent Kompany.
The Bayern coach called her appointment a "key moment" and highlighted the "story as important" for "many young girls who see they can become a coach anywhere and have a great career."
He said: "Eta's promotion remains something special, but she deserves to be treated just like any coach." ■
