Abuse of history-making Union Berlin coach condemned by ex-Arsenal star

Former Arsenal defender Moritz Volz has condemned abuse towards manager Marie-Louisa Eta following her Bundesliga debut.

Eta made history last week by becoming the first female boss of a men’s team in Europe’s top five leagues when she was appointed head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

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She then took charge of her first game on Saturday afternoon, leading Union into their league meeting with Wolfsburg.

Her side were beaten 2-1 and she fell to a defeat in her maiden appearance on the touchline in the German top flight.

However, Union had 25 shots in the game, forcing six saves out of ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Kamil Grabara throughout.

And many felt that the performance of Eta’s men deserved more than the loss – but that sadly didn’t stop some abuse being aimed at her on social media following the match.

Volz, who played in the Bundesliga during his career, has made sure to speak out in defence of Eta and her coaching expertise.

He told talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast on Sunday: “It makes headlines and it draws reactions, and the reactions are still, especially on the internet, inappropriate and woeful.

“But I know her, if you’re in the game in Germany, you know her, she has been an assistant coach for Union’s first-team before.

“She’s also going to take over the women’s team as head coach.

“She’s a really good coach and I think that’s all that matters, and all that you hear back from first-teamers working with her is that she’s really knowledgeable, a great leader.

“I think she has the make up to be a great coach, and gender doesn’t matter there.”

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“Yes, they lost the game,” Volz continued. “But on view, and on stats, they were the better team and they played well.

“So, it [gender] has nothing to do with it. Any coach will win or lose games that they shouldn’t have lost.”

‘It’s not about me’

Speaking after her history-making first game as Union Berlin manager, Eta played down the occasion.

She said post-match: “Ultimately, it’s not about me.

“I’m delighted to be here now, and I’m doing my best to support the team together with my coaching staff.

“After all, I’m not alone. We’re surrounded by lots of good people now, and we’re all walking this path together and supporting one another. As I said, you could see that this team still has life.”

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“I’m disappointed we lost the game,” Eta later added in her press conference. “But I liked the way the boys went into it.

“We had good energy in training during the week, and we implemented lots of things we worked on.

“At the end of the day, it’s about football, and that’s what I focused on.”

Union Berlin are currently sitting 11th in the Bundesliga on 32 points with four games to play this season.

They are eight points clear of the relegation zone and Eta will hope that they can maintain that gap during her tenure.