The appointment of Marie-Louise Eta as head coach of Union Berlin became a landmark not only for German football but for the entire European game.
As reported by Idman.Biz, the Berlin club entrusted her with the men’s team following the departure of Steffen Baumgart.
Eta became the first woman to take charge of a Bundesliga club, as well as the first to lead a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues. In a sport where such stories remain rare, it represents a significant new milestone.
Looking at documented precedents, one of the earliest cases dates back to Italy. In 1999, Carolina Morace took charge of Viterbese in Serie C1, becoming the first woman to lead a professional men’s team. Her tenure was brief, and for many years the case remained almost unique.
Another breakthrough came in France. In 2014, Clermont appointed Helena Costa, although she left before managing a match. Soon after, Corinne Diacre took over and became the first woman to lead a French professional men’s team in an official game. At the time, Clermont’s story became a symbol of slowly shifting barriers in men’s football.
Perhaps the most remarkable success story came from Hong Kong. In December 2015, Chan Yuen-ting was appointed by Eastern, and on April 22, 2016, her team secured the league title with a 2-1 win over South China. It was the club’s first title in 21 years, and Chan became the first woman to lead a men’s team to a top-division championship.
Her achievements did not stop there. In 2017, she became the first woman to guide a men’s club in the AFC Champions League before stepping down from her role and remaining within the club structure.
Further milestones followed. In 2021, Helen Nkwocha became interim head coach of Faroese side Tvøroyrar, making history as the first woman to lead a men’s top-division team in Europe.
In 2023, Forest Green Rovers appointed Hannah Dingley as interim head coach, making her the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in England, although her tenure lasted only two weeks.
A new chapter was written in Germany. In May 2024, Ingolstadt handed the team to Sabrina Wittmann until the end of the season before confirming her permanently in June. She became the first woman to officially manage a men’s team in one of Germany’s top three divisions.
Her start was more than symbolic: Ingolstadt went unbeaten in four matches under her leadership and won the Bavarian Cup. Against this backdrop, Eta’s appointment at Union Berlin looks less like an isolated case and more like the next step — now at the level of the Bundesliga and Europe’s elite.
In Azerbaijan, the story is still developing, but a first precedent has already been set. In May 2025, Zulfiyya Bayramova joined the coaching staff of men’s side Shimal, becoming the first woman to work with a men’s football team in the country. She took on the role of goalkeeping coach.
At the time, Shimal were competing in the Second League and had already secured promotion to the First League. While this is not yet a story of a woman leading a men’s club, it is an important signal that Azerbaijani football has also begun taking steps towards changes that once seemed almost impossible.
