Experts heap praise on the league's first female assistant coach
Champions League winner, U20 World Champion and now the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history. Marie-Louise Eta is in the spotlight at Union Berlin. It is not yet clear how long she will be part of the rescue crew at the bottom of the table. But she is already breaking boundaries.
Marie-Louise Eta was immediately in the thick of things. In her first training session as assistant coach of Union Berlin, she meticulously set up the drills, served as the point of contact for passing drills and worked closely with interim coach Marco Grote. The 32-year-old suddenly and unexpectedly came to the fore during the Köpenickers' sporting plight - and made history as the first female coach in over 60 years in the Bundesliga.
"The day has finally come for us to see a woman in the male domain of soccer. She will certainly help shape a lot of the content at Union," said former German champion and Sky expert Julia Simic about the pioneer: "She definitely has the quality expertise to fill this role."
Eta will face her first real challenge in the landmark Bundesliga match against FC Augsburg on Saturday (3.30pm/Sky and live ticker on ntv.de), in which she will most likely sit on the bench alongside Grote following the departure of long-time successful coach Urs Fischer - thus fulfilling a dream.
Even as a child, she "couldn't be without the ball for a second". Her big wish? "To play my part in being successful as a coach at the very top level," Eta said in a ZDF documentary just a few months ago. Now the day has come that represents the culmination of a steady rise for the Dresden native.
Promotion makes big waves
After winning the Champions League and the U20 World Cup title as a player, Eta began her career as a coach at Werder Bremen's youth team and progressed through the DFB Juniors to Union's U19s. Her promotion to the Bundesliga made waves in the media - so much so that national team player Kevin Schade parted ways with his advisor Maik Barthel, who had made disparaging remarks about Eta and indirectly denied her competence.
However, the number of advocates for the soccer teacher with a pro license is much greater. "I'm actually pleased," said national women's coach Horst Hrubesch, who does not know the 32-year-old personally. Former national team player Tabea Kemme is certain that Eta will "continue on her path in the Bundesliga".
But first there is the day-to-day business, and that is explosive enough in Köpenick. After 14 games without a win and the departure of club icon Fischer, the Berliners are bottom of the table and urgently need points. President Dirk Zingler trusts Grote and Eta to look after the professional team in the "next few days or weeks" - perhaps even longer if they are successful.
Source: www.ntv.de
