Bundesliga side Union Berlin have become the first men’s team in Europe’s top five leagues to appoint a female head coach.Marie-Louise Eta will take charge until the end of the season after the club sacked Steffen Baumgart.Union Berlin’s season has rapidly gone downhill, leading to Eta’s appointmentAFPBaumgart, once a striker for Union in his playing days, left after a 3-1 loss to bottom-side FC Heidenheim.And Eta, 34, has been given the reins for the crucial end-of-season run-in.The club, who played in the Champions League in 2023, have only won two games so far in 2026.That has seen them dip from an outside shot at a European place to a risk of relegation.The battle at the bottom of the Bundesliga this season is tight.Union, while 11th in the table, are seven points ahead of St Pauli, who currently reside in the relegation play-off spot.That means their safety is not yet confirmed.And Eta believes she will be able to keep the club in the German top-flight.“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” she said.“I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.Marie-Louise Eta has created history with Union Berlin and will blaze a trail for women in men’s footballAFP“I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points.”“We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position,” said Horst Heldt, Union’s director of men’s football.“Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.”Eta has previously spent time on the touchline for Union Berlin, but that came as she replaced then-head coach Nenad Bjelica while he served a three-match ban.At that time, she was already an assistant head coach with the club.She will, though, not be the club’s next permanent manager unless there is a dramatic change.AFPEta was an assistant at Union Berlin when the club faced Real Madrid in the Champions League[/caption]Eta had already been pencilled in to become Union Berlin Women’s head coach in the summer.Premier League next?Eta is now a trailblazer for female coaches in the men’s game.And former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino believes it’s only a matter of time before something similar happens in English football.“Well, it’s going to happen,” Cascarino said when asked if there would ever be something similar here.“It’s inevitable. Of course it’s going to happen.”Queried on whether it would actually happen, he then added: “No, but the reason why it will happen is because everything evolves. [Think of] some of the things we thought would never be possible say 25, 30 years ago.Hannah Dingley was caretaker manager at Forest Green Rovers in 2023, but she never took charge of a gameTwitter @FGRFCOfficialWhen further pressed on when it might happen in English football, he replied: “I think within 10 [years]. You’ll see someone get the opportunity. If they’re good enough, who cares what sex they are?“And it’s going to be, you know, there is going to be some really tough obstacles put in front of them. But I’m sure that someone’s going to be successful also.”Previously in English football, Hannah Dingley replaced Everton legend Duncan Ferguson at Forest Green Rovers.However, she was only handed the role as a caretaker on July 4, and David Horseman took the permanent role on July 17.That meant she did not take charge of a competitive fixture, although she did lead them in friendlies with Coventry City and Everton Under-21s.At the time, her appointment had been labelled as a PR stunt from chairman Dale Vince.