Eta Becomes First Woman to Win Match in Europe’s Top Five Men’s Leagues

Marie-Louise Eta has made football history after becoming the first female head coach to win a match in the German Bundesliga and Europe’s top five men’s leagues.

The 34-year-old guided 1. FC Union Berlin to a 3-1 victory over 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday, marking her first win since taking charge of the club on an interim basis.

Eta was appointed interim coach of Union Berlin in April following the dismissal of former manager Steffen Baumgart. Her appointment itself was historic, as she became the first woman to lead a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Speaking after the victory, Eta downplayed the attention on her gender and instead focused on the team’s performance, saying the players deserved credit for ending their poor run of form. Union Berlin had gone several matches without a win before defeating Mainz away from home.

The former German international had already broken barriers in 2023 when she became the Bundesliga’s first female assistant coach. In 2024, she also became the first woman to take charge of a Bundesliga men’s team during a suspension to the club’s previous manager.

Football fans and analysts across Europe have praised Eta’s achievement as a major step forward for women in professional football management. England women’s coach Sarina Wiegman previously described Eta as a “trailblazer” for women in the sport.

Despite the historic achievement, Eta is expected to move to Union Berlin’s women’s team at the end of the season, as originally planned by the club.