Marie-Louise Eta becomes first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history & will work alongside USMNT star Brenden Aaronson at Union Berlin after Urs Fischer sacking

After securing qualification for the Champions League last season, Union are rock bottom of the Bundesliga table after a terrible start to the new campaign, costing Fischer his job. He was sacked on Wednesday as the club placed Under-19s coach Marco Grote in temporary charge, with his assistant Eta also joining the first-team staff.

After hanging up her boots in 2018, bringing an end to a playing career that saw her win the UEFA Women's Champions League with Turbine Potsdam as part of an incredible treble in 2010, Eta has held coaching roles in the youth teams with Werder Bremen, Germany and Union. She joined the latter earlier this year, working as Grote's assistant with the U19s, and will now step up to this historic role until further notice.

There have been female coaches in the men's game at various levels over the years. Carolina Morace, the former Italy international, was the first woman to coach a professional men's team when she took over Viterbese of Serie C1; former France women's national team coach Corinne Diacre made her name coaching Clermont Foot in Ligue 2 and Hannah Dingley became the first woman to take charge of an English Football League club when she was made Forest Green Rovers' interim in July.

However, Eta is making Bundesliga history by being part of Union's temporary staff and will be a very rare example of a woman coaching a men's top-flight team.

The change of staff marks a new era for Union, who achieved incredible things in Fischer's five years in charge. But after a disastrous start to this season, the club will believe a new direction can help them get off the bottom of the Bundesliga table. USMNT star Brenden Aaronson will hope it means good things for him, too, the on-loan Leeds forward having struggling massively for opportunities to this point.