Union Berlin assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta answered questions from the media on Saturday ahead of the relegation clash against Darmstadt but she will not become the first woman to take charge of a men’s Bundesliga match.
Following coach Nenad Bjelica’s three-match suspension for pushing Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané twice in the face in midweek, Eta has been placed on media duties but Bjelica’s fellow Croatian assistant Danijel Jumic will call the shots during Sunday’s game.
Eta, the first female assistant in the men’s Bundesliga, said: “The coach made a mistake. He has apologized for it. We then focused fully on Darmstadt yesterday after the last team meeting. That’s the only thing that matters.”
Bjelica will still hold a squad meeting before the game but he is not allowed to have any contact with the coaching team during the game.
Union Berlin assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta speaks at a press conference before the German Bundesliga soccer match against Darmstadt 98. Matthias Koch/dpa
