Coach Marie-Louise Eta has etched her name into football history, becoming the first woman to lead a men’s team to victory in one of Europe’s top five leagues. She guided Union Berlin to a 3-1 win over Mainz in the 33rd round of the Bundesliga, a landmark moment for the sport.
The match, played on Sunday, saw Union Berlin take the lead in the 38th minute through Andrej Ilić. Mainz equalized early in the second half, with Sheraddo Bacher finding the net in the 48th minute. Just when a draw seemed likely, Oliver Burke struck in the 88th minute to put Union ahead again, and Josip Juranović sealed the win with a third goal in the first minute of stoppage time.
This victory lifted Union Berlin to 36 points and 12th place in the standings, while Mainz remained on 37 points in 10th position. After the final whistle, an emotional Eta celebrated passionately with her players and the fans, raising her fist in the air to mark the historic achievement. It was her first win in four matches since taking temporary charge of the team, with one more game remaining in her interim role.
Reflecting on the milestone, Eta said: “I want everyone to remember me as someone who did her job in the best possible way, earning points and victories. That’s what we work on every day. We put in a huge effort, and it’s fantastic to take all three points today, especially because we played well. That’s the most important thing for me.”
Eta’s interim spell with Union Berlin will end after the final match of the season against Augsburg. She will then take over as head coach of the club’s women’s first team starting next season.