Marie-Louise Eta etched her name into football history on Sunday, becoming the first female head coach to secure a victory in one of Europe's top five men's leagues. The Union Berlin interim boss oversaw a thrilling 3-1 comeback win against Mainz in the German Bundesliga, a result that lifted her side to 12th in the table.
Historic Triumph
Eta, who took charge after the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart last month, celebrated her maiden win in her fourth game at the helm. With Union trailing 1-0 at half-time, the team rallied with goals from Oliver Burke in the 88th minute and Josip Juranovic in stoppage time, turning a potential draw into a memorable victory. Andrej Ilic had earlier equalised for Union after Sheraldo Becker's opener for Mainz.
When asked by broadcaster DAZN if the win released pressure, Eta responded: "You're happy, you want to win games. That's always the case and so it was today as well. The way it happened was great too, how we managed to pull it off."
Focus on Results
While acknowledging the wider significance of her role, Eta emphasised that performance and points remain paramount. "It hasn't been about that," she told DAZN regarding the historic nature of her tenure. "It's been about doing the job as well as possible, getting points, winning games, and that's what we've worked for each day. We've invested a lot so it's great that we could get the three points here today."
Eta's interim stint is set to conclude next week when Union host Augsburg in their season finale. She has already agreed to take charge of the Union women's team for the upcoming season.
Match Interruption and Relegation Battle
The game was briefly halted in the first half as Union fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against league scheduling. Mainz, led by former Union coach Urs Fischer, remain 10th.
Elsewhere, Freiburg's hopes of European qualification suffered a blow as they lost 3-2 at Hamburger SV, despite two goals from Igor Matanovic. The defeat leaves Freiburg seventh, though they could still secure Champions League football by winning the Europa League final against Aston Villa on May 20.
The Bundesliga is set for a dramatic final-day relegation battle, with Heidenheim, Wolfsburg, and St. Pauli all level on points. Heidenheim's 3-1 win over Cologne, inspired by a double from Jan Schöppner, lifted them to 17th, tied with Wolfsburg (16th) and St. Pauli (18th). The teams finishing 17th and 18th are automatically relegated, while 16th faces a playoff. Wolfsburg and St. Pauli meet next week, while Heidenheim host Mainz.
