Union ‌Berlin denounces sexist abuse aimed at female manager Marie-Lou Eta

Eta’s role as the first female manager of a men’s team was followed by derogatory ​and sexist comments on social media.

Union ‌Berlin has condemned the sexist online abuse directed ⁠at ⁠Marie-Louise Eta after she became the first woman to take charge of a men’s Bundesliga ⁠team.

Eta was appointed interim head coach on Saturday for the remainder of the ⁠season following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart and will oversee the men’s first team through the end of the campaign before moving to the club’s ‌women’s side.

Her appointment, however, has been followed by derogatory and sexist comments on social media.

The club has pushed back online and in person.

“We have 100 percent confidence in Loui, with complete conviction. I find it crazy that we have to deal with this in this day and age, that we have to justify ourselves,” Union’s director of men’s professional football, Horst Heldt, said.

Communications director Christian Arbeit said Eta just wanted to coach.

“Marie-Louise Eta has a very pragmatic approach to all of its,” he said.

“She’s very conscious that it’s something special, but for her, football is in the foreground. She wants to work with the team, and she wants to be on the field.”

Responding to a comment expressing concern about the treatment of Eta and a potential sexist backlash if she loses a game, the club posted: “The Union family has her back.”

“With all due respect, that’s sexism,” Union’s account on X responded to a post arguing that players would not take a woman’s instructions about tactics seriously.

It branded another comment “sexist” for claiming that a male coach who lost to her would lose face.

The decision to appoint Eta won praise from Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner, who called the decision “a strong signal for professional football and for women in elite-level sports”, but spelled Eta’s name wrong in the process. The club corrected him. “We were so overwhelmed,” Wegner answered.

Eta has been named interim coach for the last five games of the season as Union aim to secure their spot in the Bundesliga for next season.

Union previously said she would take over as head coach of the club’s women’s team for next season, but Heldt did not rule out her continuing with the men’s team either after this season.

“I think at the moment it wouldn’t make sense to rule anything out beyond that,” he said.

Union said it would continue to protect staff from harassment, with Heldt adding the ‌club would do everything possible to ensure the debate does not continue.

Union are 11th in ‌the ‌Bundesliga standings and host relegation-threatened Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Union Berlin head coach Marie-Louise Eta leads a training session [File: Annegret Hilse/Reuters]