The appointment of Marie-Louise Eta as interim coach of Union Berlin – the first woman to coach a top team in Germany – is a special moment that will open doors for young girls in the sport, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Eta became the first female coach to lead a Bundesliga team when she was appointed interim coach at Union.
«I am actually very happy (with Eta’s appointment),» Kompany told a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Champions League second leg against Real Madrid.
«I think these are key moments. It’s easy to downplay them and say, ‘She’s just a coach like everyone else and that’s how we should treat her as colleagues.’
“But in the end it is something special,” the Belgian added. «It opens up a lot of opportunities for little girls who play football now and think, ‘I can coach anywhere, have a real career and be successful.’ These stories are very important.
“I wish her all the best and the only thing I wish she is not treated like a man is to be patient with her because in the coaching job there is no patience at the leadership level.”
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Eta, 34, coached Union’s Under-19 team and will take charge of the club’s women’s team from next season. She became the first female assistant coach in the German top flight at Union in 2023.
Union Berlin on Monday condemned sexist online abuse directed at Eta following her appointment, saying it was disappointing that the club had to respond to such criticism in 2026, calling the discourse «insane» and «shameful.»
Published on April 14, 2026
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