The 1. FC Union Berlin has sacked head coach Steffen Baumgart after a 1-3 away defeat against bottom-of-the-table 1. FC Heidenheim. The Bundesliga team announced this on Saturday.
“We have had an absolutely disappointing second half of the season and we are not blinded by our position in the table: Our situation is still threatening, and we urgently need points to secure our league status,” explained CEO Horst Heldt in a club statement. The gap to the relegation play-off spot is currently seven points, which apparently is not enough security for Union to keep Baumgart in charge. The coach had only extended his contract in January.
Marie-Louise Eta is ready to take over as the successor. The former U19 coach will lead the team on an interim basis until the end of the season. “I am pleased that Marie-Louise Eta has agreed to take on this interim task,” said Heldt. Eta herself is confident, stating, “I believe that we will secure the crucial points with the team.”
The 33-year-old, who played as a defensive midfielder at a professional level for eleven years, has been with Union since 2023 – initially as an assistant coach, making history as the first woman to hold this role in the Bundesliga and Champions League. She will now make history again by becoming the first female head coach in Bundesliga history to sit on the bench next Saturday (3:30 pm) against VfL Wolfsburg. Eta is set to take over the women’s team of 1. FC Union Berlin in the 2026/27 season.
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