Bundesliga Milestone: Meet Union Berlin’s New Interim Coach, Marie-Louise Eta

What started as a necessary sporting decision has evolved into a significant milestone, placing the spotlight firmly on the 34-year-old: Who is the woman now entrusted with the task of salvaging Union’s season?

The situation is daunting. After what managing director Horst Heldt referred to as an “extremely disappointing second half of the season,” where the team recorded merely two victories from fourteen matches since the winter break, the club’s leadership decided to make a change late on Saturday night.

Steffen Baumgart and his assistants Danilo de Souza and Kevin McKenna parted ways with the club due to a lack of faith in the existing setup to orchestrate a turnaround.

Bundesliga Background

Now, Eta is called upon to deliver those vital victories needed at the lower end of the table. “I believe we can secure the crucial points with this team,” she states, exuding confidence and determination as the season reaches its climax.

Eta is no stranger to the Bundesliga scene. During the tumultuous 2023/24 season — when Union was floundering in the aftermath of the Urs Fischer era — she served as assistant coach alongside Marco Grote and stepped up in place of the suspended Nenad Bjelica.

The intense media scrutiny that accompanied her initial foray into coaching didn’t deter her. “We simply tried to ignore the distractions around us,” she reflected in an interview with rbb24 last autumn.

This fortitude, coupled with her profound connection to the club — having previously coached the women’s team and most recently the U19s — makes her the ideal candidate for this internal promotion at Union.

Eta’s steadfast nature is deeply rooted in her illustrious playing career. Competing under her maiden name Bagehorn, she clinched three German championships and a Champions League title with Turbine Potsdam.

A Life Dedicated to Football

Influenced by the strong yet compassionate coaching style of Potsdam legend Bernd Schroder, she embraced values such as hard work and resilience. In her coaching philosophy, she merges these traits with an unwavering focus on enjoying the game.

Her guiding principle is to showcase performance and quality — as she firmly believes, gender is irrelevant in professional sports.

Football’s rhythm also dictates life outside of the Alte Forsterei. Since 2014, she has been married to Benjamin Eta, who is also carving out a successful coaching career. In addition to leading Bremer to promotion in the fourth tier and gaining recognition as Bremen’s coach of the year, he has also managed fifth-tier side TB Berlin and took the helm of RB Leipzig’s second women’s team in 2025.

Beyond football discussions about tactics and training, the couple finds enjoyment in snowboarding or playing padel.

“Transforming your hobby and passion into your profession is the ultimate achievement,” Benjamin Eta summarises the key to their family’s success.

A Historic Chapter

This position in the men’s Bundesliga, while unexpected, represents a prestigious addition to Marie-Louise Eta’s already distinguished career.

The original plan for the upcoming summer was for her to take over as head coach of the Union women’s team. As Horst Heldt confirmed, that arrangement remains intact. In the meantime, however, she faces a more pressing challenge.

Should Eta successfully navigate the next few weeks and keep the men’s team in Germany’s top division, she will not only take charge of the women’s team with considerable momentum this summer but will also etch her name into the annals of German and European football history.