Union Berlin keep door open for permanent appointment of interim coach Marie-Louise Eta

After parting ways with Steffen Baumgart as head coach, 1. FC Union Berlin turned to U19 coach Marie-Louise Eta, appointing her on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

In doing so, the German capital club made history, with Eta becoming the first woman to coach a men’s team in Europe’s top five leagues.

As things stand, the 34-year-old is due to take over the club’s women’s team in the summer.

However, managing director for professional football Horst Heldt has not ruled out the possibility of her remaining in charge of the men’s side if things go well for the rest of the campaign.

“We will put all our focus on the match against Wolfsburg. At this point in time, it would not make sense to rule anything out. We have a general plan. We will see how things will continue,” Heldt todl reporters on Monday.

Karlsruher SC head coach Christian Eichner has also been touted as a possible permanent replacement for Baumgart.

Heldt also condemned sexist comments directed at Eta on social media following her appointment, describing them as “embarrassing”.

“I find it unbelievable that we still have to deal with this and have to justify ourselves in this day and age. We are talking about a highly competent leader," he said.

“You can be sure that everyone here at Union Berlin , whether in the stands or at the club itself, stands 100 percent behind this decision. And we will do everything we can to ensure that this does not become a topic of discussion in the future. It's simply embarrassing.”