German Bundesliga club Union Berlin has publicly condemned a wave of sexist social media abuse directed at Marie-Louise Eta after she became the first woman to take charge of a men's top-flight football team in Germany. Eta was appointed interim head coach for the final five games of the season following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, with the club standing firmly behind her — declaring "the Union family has her back" and labelling several hostile online comments as outright sexism. Club director Horst Heldt said he found it "crazy" that such justifications were still necessary in the current era, while Eta herself has remained focused on the football, with the club noting she simply wants to work with the team and be on the pitch.