Union Berlin hire first female coach in Bundesliga history

Union Berlin have hired the first female coach in Bundesliga history after parting ways with Urs Fischer and his staff on Wednesday.

Marie-Louise Eta is to be an assistant to interim head coach Marco Grote, with the pair having worked together with the club's under-19s until Fischer's dismissal.

Union are in the midst of a nine-game losing run that has left them bottom of the table.

Eta, 32, played in the Frauen Bundesliga with Turbine Potsdam, where she won the league three times in row and lifted the Women's Champions League in 2010. She also played for Hamburg, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen before retiring in 2018.

Union finished fourth last season to earn their first ever Champions League group stage spot.

"1. FC Union Berlin and their head coach Urs Fischer are going their separate ways with immediate effect," the club said in the statement announcing Fischer's departure. "The joint decision was taken by Union president Dirk Zingler and Fischer in person during a meeting on Monday afternoon."

Fischer took over in 2018 and led them to their first ever Bundesliga promotion the following year.

Under the 57-year-old from Switzerland, the team qualified for European competitions in each of the last three seasons.

"In the five and a half years that we have worked together, we have developed a respect and trust for each other that has enabled us to always exchange ideas openly and honestly. Together, we have now come to the conclusion that the time has come to take a different path," Zingler said.

Union have lost three of their four Champions League group matches, while their most recent Bundesliga win this season was on Aug. 26.

"The last few weeks have cost a lot of strength," said Fischer. "We've tried a lot, and the team has put in a lot of effort, but it hasn't paid off in terms of results.

"Nevertheless, it feels right to make a change now. Sometimes a different face, a different way of addressing a team helps to spark a development."