After naming Marie-Louise Eta the in Europe’s 鈥渂ig five鈥� soccer leagues, Union Berlin says the club 鈥渉as her back鈥� as senior executives condemned sexist comments on social media Monday.
Eta鈥檚 first game is Saturday against Wolfsburg. There have already been critical comments on social media suggesting that she鈥檚 not suitable for the job because she鈥檚 a woman.
Union has pushed back online and in person.
鈥淲e have 100 percent confidence in Loui, with complete conviction. I find it crazy that we have to deal with this in this day and age, that we have to justify ourselves,鈥� Union鈥檚 director of men鈥檚 professional football, Horst Heldt said.
Communications director Christian Arbeit said Eta just wanted to coach.
鈥淢arie-Louise Eta has a very pragmatic approach to all of its,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he’s very conscious that it’s something special, but for her soccer is in the foreground. She wants to work with the team and she wants to be on the field.鈥�
Eta has been named interim coach for the last five games of the season as Union aims to secure its spot in the Bundesliga for next season. Union previously said she will take over as head coach of the club鈥檚 women鈥檚 team for next season, but Heldt didn’t rule out her continuing with the men’s team either after this season.
鈥淚 think at the moment it wouldn’t make sense to rule anything out beyond that,鈥� he said.
Union has also been defending Eta online
鈥淲ith all due respect, that’s sexism,鈥� Union’s account on X responded to a post arguing that players wouldn’t take a woman’s instructions about tactics seriously. Eta is a longtime member of the club’s coaching staff who has been to the men’s team and head coach of the under-19 team.
It branded another comment 鈥渟exist鈥� for claiming that a male coach who lost to her would lose face.
Responding to a comment expressing concern about the treatment of Eta and a potential sexist backlash if she loses a game, the club posted: 鈥淭he Union family has her back.鈥�
The decision to appoint Eta won praise from Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner, who called the decision 鈥渁 strong signal for professional soccer and for women in elite-level sports,鈥� but spelled Eta’s name wrong in the process. The club corrected him. 鈥淲e were so overwhelmed,鈥� Wegner answered.
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