Union Berlin denounce sexist attacks on Marie-Louise Eta after historic appointment

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2 min readApr 14, 2026 01:28 AM ISTUnion Berlin have appointed Marie-Louise Eta as the interim coach for the rest of the Bundesliga season. (Photo: dpa via AP)Union Berlin have condemned sexist online abuse directed at Marie-Louise Eta after she became the first woman to take charge of a Bundesliga team.Eta was appointed interim head coach on Saturday for the remainder of ⁠the ​season following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart.She will oversee the men’s first team through the end of the ​campaign before ​moving to the club’s ⁠women’s side.Her appointment, however, has been followed by derogatory and ‌sexist comments on social media.“I’ve noticed it, but I also refuse to read or even just expose myself to that kind of nonsense, because for me, this is ⁠about leadership quality,” ⁠Union director of football Horst Heldt said on Monday.“We have ⁠100 ‌percent confidence in Loui (nickname ​for Eta), complete conviction.”Heldt ‌said it was disappointing that the club had to respond to ‌such criticism ​in 2026, ​calling ​the discourse “insane” and “embarrassing.”Union said they would continue to protect staff ​from harassment, with Heldt adding ⁠the club would do everything possible to ensure the debate does not ‌continue.Story continues below this adUnion ⁠are 11th in the Bundesliga standings and host relegation-threatened Wolfsburg ​on Saturday. Tags:BundesligaGerman BundesligaAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...