The woman who gets to train the men

During his time at Turbine Potsdam, coach Bernd Schröder maintained a video archive. He kept particularly successful moments there. He was really impressed with one sequence, the one with Marie-Louise Eta in the center. Indoor tournament in Magdeburg. The Potsdam women combine with terrific direct play to score. The most beautiful and difficult passes come from Eta. “Louie was someone who could handle the ball,” says Schröder.

But it wasn’t the great career that Marie-Louise Eta, born 32 years ago as Marie-Louise Bagehorn in Dresden, can look back on. Injuries and the disadvantage that, at 1.63 meters, she was never physically one of the most robust, prevented more. What Schröder particularly remembers about her: “She was very inquisitive. With her you always had the feeling that she wanted to take a lot with her. For sport and also for life,” he says.

Marie-Louise Eta: Image: Witters

Her thirst for knowledge has now brought Marie-Louise Eta a level of attention that she could not have expected just a few days ago. After parting ways with coach Urs Fischer, Bundesliga club Union Berlin temporarily appointed Marco Grote to be in charge of the team. His co-coach, Marie-Louise Eta, was also promoted with him. She is the first female assistant coach in the history of the Bundesliga.

How long Eta will be allowed to hold its position is uncertain. It can be assumed that Union will soon hire an experienced coach who will then bring his own assistants with him. In this case, the Grote/Eta duo will again look after Berlin’s oldest junior year, the U19s. Until then, the spotlight belongs to Marie-Louise Eta. Her calling has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman, said Union President Dirk Zingler. “This decision was not for a woman, but for a soccer teacher.”

Eta has been a football teacher since April, when she passed the course organized by the DFB. This means she is qualified to coach a professional team. No matter whether men or women. Just getting admission to this course is an achievement. Among those not admitted was Benjamin Eta, to whom she has been married for nine years.

Sebastian Stier, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 3 A comment from Pirmin Clossé Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 4

The two met while she was still playing, at Hamburger SV, in Cloppenburg and at Werder Bremen. Benjamin Eta, who runs a consulting agency in addition to his work as a trainer, also represented Marie-Louise. Both are currently focusing on their careers. They couldn’t be more different. Shortly before Marie-Louise was promoted to assistant coach, the fourth division club Weiche Flensburg fired her husband.