Union Berlin has made history by appointing the first-ever female coach in the Bundesliga.
The German side confirmed on Wednesday, November,15, that they had parted ways with first-team coach Urs Fischer, given their disastrous run of form lately.
Berlin, who are part of this year’s Champions League competition, have fallen to defeat in 13 out of their last 14 matches. They drew the other match.
In response to Fischer’s departure, Berlin’s U19 coach Marco Grote will take charge of first-team affairs as interim coach until further notice.
Grote will serve alongside Marie-Louise Eta, who has been appointed as the new assistant manager until further notice.
The historic decision will see a woman in the Bundesliga dugout for the first time ever. Their next match sees them take on FC Augsburg on November 25th.
Her most recent role saw her, in June 2023, take up the assistant manager role for Berlin’s U19 side, where she worked closely with Grote.
In a statement, Berlin’s club president Dirk Zingler said: ‘I only recently made it clear that Urs Fischer is an excellent coach, and I continue to be absolutely convinced of that.
‘His personality and his successful work have shaped our club in recent years and opened up many new opportunities for us.
‘During these five and a half years of our collaboration, respect and trust developed between us, on the basis of which we were able to exchange ideas openly and honestly at any time.
‘Together we have now come to the conclusion that now is the time to take a different path.
‘For me personally and certainly for the entire Union family, this is a very sad moment. It hurts that we haven’t been able to break the negative trend of the last few weeks.
‘Looking back on the time we spent together and the successes we celebrated together, I am grateful and proud. As painful as this separation is, Urs Fischer leaves as a friend who will be welcomed by us with open arms at all times.’
