34-year-old Maria-Luisa Etta will save the Bundesliga club from relegation
Berlin’s “Union” has officially announced radical changes on the coaching staff. After a series of failures, the club’s management dismissed Steffen Baumgart and appointed Maria-Luisa Etta as his replacement. This appointment has already become historic for world football, as the 34-year-old specialist is the first female coach at this level.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the official website of the German club.
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The sad statistics of “Union”
Steffen Baumgart, who took charge of the team in December 2024, was unable to pull “Union” out of the crisis. The decisive blow was the defeat to “Heidenheim,” which worsened an already difficult record: only two victories in the last 14 Bundesliga matches.
“We had a disappointing start to the second half of the season and will not let our current position in the table blind us. The situation remains precarious, we urgently need points,” commented Union’s sports director Horst Heldt on the dismissal.
Along with the head coach, his assistants – Danilo de Souza and Kevin McKenna – were also let go.
Historic appointment
Maria-Luisa Etta will serve as head coach until the end of the season. Previously, the 34-year-old specialist successfully worked with Union’s youth team (U-19).
It is worth noting that this is not the first case in Germany where a woman coaches a men’s team. In 2024, “Ingolstadt” appointed Sabrina Wittmann. However, in the history of the Bundesliga, Maria-Luisa Etta is the first coach of a men’s team. She is also the first coach in a men’s team among all clubs in the top five European leagues.
Etta has already made her first statement in her new role.
“I am glad that the club entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been the ability to come together in such situations. I am convinced that we will secure crucial points,” said the coach.
Tournament position and schedule
Currently, the “Iron” are in 11th place in the table, with 32 points. Despite the average position, the gap from the relegation playoff zone is only seven points, which does not guarantee safety with five rounds to go.
Maria-Luisa Etta’s debut as head coach will take place on April 18, when “Union” hosts “Wolfsburg.”
Earlier, we reported when Courtois would return to replace Lunin in goal for “Real.”
