Why Marie-Louise Eta’s appointment should be the norm, not the exception

All eyes will be on Marie-Louise Eta on Saturday when she makes history as the first female head coach of a men’s team in the German football league, but experts believe the milestone moment should serve as the beginning of long-overdue recognition for women’s leadership skills and abilities in a male-dominated sport. Eta will be in the limelight when Union Berlin host FC Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, but the trailblazing head coach wants the focus to shift away from her unique achievement and on to the game once the action begins at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. Amid the media frenzy and recognition of her appointment as a breakthrough for women’s role in men’s football, leading voices in women’s football have underlined the need for marking this move as a watershed moment.

She was the first woman to be named an assistant coach in the Bundesliga in 2023, also with Berlin. For now, the 34-year-old will take over for the remainder of the season for the 11th-placed team. While her appointment was widely celebrated, it was followed in equal parts by sexist and derogatory online abuse, which the club Union swiftly denounced.

I find it crazy that we have to deal with this in this day and age, that we have to justify ourselves,” Union’s director of men’s professional football, Horst Heldt, said. Women have been part of the men’s game, taking on various roles despite backlash. Stephanie Frappart, Salima Mukasanga and Yoshimi Yamashita have led the way by refereeing men’s games for the past few years.

Eta has acknowledged the women paving the path before her, noting she was “far from the first woman working in professional men’s football” while also recognising those who see her appointment as having “a signalling effect”. However, women seem relegated to administrative roles at the top level more than the technical side, according to Harrison, who is the CEO of Women in Football. She believes that where women were once deliberately kept out of the game some 50-odd years ago, those barriers have been removed, but there are still no clear pathways for them to follow.

Harrison insists a system needs to be in place to help build a conducive environment for women’s progress in professional football. She called for an overhaul to ensure that appointments like Eta’s are in the mainstream and materialise because of the system and not solely due to an individual’s resilience and determination. Harrison, who is a gender equity advocate, also highlighted the lack of visibility of successful women in such roles, particularly in the men’s game.

The United Kingdom-based expert equated “real progress” with a shift in conversation towards understanding that highly competitive environments require the best person for the role, regardless of gender. Emma Hayes, head coach of the United States women’s national team, echoed a similar sentiment following Eta’s appointment. A good coach is a good coach regardless of gender,” the former Chelsea Women manager said.