Union Berlin’s Marie-Louise Eta became the first woman to manage a Bundesliga match on Sunday, January 28, after leading her side to a 1-0 victory over Darmstadt.

The former UWCL winner was named as Union Berlin’s assistant coach earlier this season, becoming the first woman to take up the role in the Bundesliga as well as the UEFA Champions League. 

Eta took over the weekend's match for Nenad Bjelica after the first team coach was suspended following an altercation with Leroy Sané during the club’s midweek loss to Bayern Munich.

Before joining Union Berlin’s youth setup in 2023, Eta managed several of Germany’s international women’s youth sides - bringing her own experience as a youth World Cup winner to the touchline. 

Although we are seeing more women working in managerial positions across men's football - earlier this season Forest Green Rovers' Hannah Dingley became the first woman to take charge of an EFL side as interim Head Coach - more still needs to be done to ensure the next generation of Etas feel welcomed enough to shape the men's game.

Congratulations to the German manager for breaking down barriers and not being deterred from working in a space that traditionally has been created for and by men.