The first woman to become head coach of a football team in a top European league

Marie-Louise Ethah, 34, has become the first woman to coach a men's football team in one of Europe's top leagues. She has been appointed head coach of Berlin club Union Berlin until the end of the season, after which she will move to the women's team of the same club.

Marie-Louise is a former professional footballer, having played for Turbin, Hamburg, Werder Bremen, and the German youth team. Over the course of her career, she won Bundesliga and Champions League titles with various teams, as well as gold at the European Championship and World Junior Championship. At the age of 26, Marie-Louise was forced to end her professional career due to injuries.

Marie-Louise previously managed Union's youth section and will now take over the main team from 54-year-old Stefan Baumgarter. Eta faces the difficult task of leading Union to the Bundesliga. Eta herself commented on her appointment: "Considering our position in the bottom half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet guaranteed. I'm delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task."

As a reminder, this is the first time a woman has held the head coaching position of a top-division football team. Even in the lower divisions, a woman in this position is a rarity. Currently, one such example is Sabrina Wittmann, who leads the Bavarian club Igolstadt.

Photo: 1.fcunion/Instagram* *