Union Berlin have denounced sexist online abuse directed at Marie-Louise Eta following her appointment as interim head coach. Eta became the first woman to lead a men's team in a major European league after replacing Steffen Baumgart on Sunday. The 34-year-old previously served as an assistant coach at the club and won the UEFA Women's Champions League as a player.
Director of football Horst Heldt stated the club has 100 percent confidence in her leadership, according to Sky Sports. He described the derogatory social media discourse as insane and embarrassing. Union have also used official social media accounts to challenge sexist comments directly, per The Independent.
Eta is scheduled to take charge for the final five matches of the Bundesliga season before moving to the women's team in the summer. Union currently sit 11th in the table and host Wolfsburg on Saturday. The club pledged to protect staff from harassment and ensure the focus remains on coaching quality.
