Union Berlin’s Marie-Louise Eta set to become first female assistant coach in Bundesliga

BERLIN — Marie-Louise Eta is set to become the first female assistant coach in the 60-year history of the Bundesliga when Union Berlin plays on Saturday.

Union appointed Eta as assistant to interim coach Marco Grote following its dismissal of the popular Urs Fischer during the international break.

Fischer led the team to unprecedented success over 5½ years, but Union is last this season after nine consecutive defeats.

Grote and Eta were promoted from Union’s Under-19 team, which was third in both its domestic league and UEFA Youth League competitions before the senior team came calling. Their first game in charge is the home match against Augsburg, which is unbeaten in four games.

Despite the fact Eta will be the first female member of a coaching staff in the league since the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Union, as a club, only wants to focus on its precarious sporting situation.

“It’s not a conscious decision for a woman. I think that almost discredits this decision,” Union president Dirk Zingler said of Eta’s appointment. “For me she is a fully qualified soccer coach and that’s exactly how I see her, whether it’s a woman or a man. This decision was not a question for a woman, but a decision for a soccer coach who works with the team.”

Grote and Eta led their first training session on Monday, though many players were still absent on international duty. Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci was unable to take part because of a thigh injury sustained in the 4-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen before the international break.

The 32-year-old Eta, a former…