Union Berlin hit back at sexism after groundbreaking appointment of female manager

Marie-Louise Eta has taken over at Union Berlin (AP)

Union Berlin have hit back at any sexist response to their groundbreaking appointment of Marie-Louise Eta.

Eta, 34, made history by becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five football leagues, being appointed as head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin until the end of the season.

Eta's first outing comes on Saturday against Wolfsburg in the league, but there have already been critical comments on social media suggesting that she's not suitable for the job because of her sex.

Union has pushed back both via social media and their club executives, reiterating their support for Eta, who has been serving as the club’s under-19s coach this season.

"We have 100 percent confidence in Loui, with complete conviction. I find it crazy that we have to deal with this in this day and age, that we have to justify ourselves," Union's chief Horst Heldt said.

Marie Louise-Eta made history by becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five football leagues (Reuters)

Heldt also didn’t rule out Eta remaining in her post as manager permanently after this season, having taking over following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart on Saturday.

"I think at the moment it wouldn't make sense to rule anything out beyond that," he said.

Communications director Christian Arbeit added that Eta, a Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam in 2010, just wanted to coach.

"Marie-Louise Eta has a very pragmatic approach to all of its," he said. "She's very conscious that it's something special, but for her soccer is in the foreground. She wants to work with the team and she wants to be on the field."

Union have also been defending Eta online, taking to their social media accounts to combat abuse head-on.

"With all due respect, that's sexism," Union's official X account responded to a post arguing that players wouldn't take a woman's instructions about tactics seriously.

They branded another comment "sexist" for claiming that a male coach who lost to her would lose face.

Responding to a comment expressing concern about the treatment of Eta and a potential sexist backlash if she loses a game, the club posted: "The Union family has her back."

The decision to appoint Eta won praise from Berlin's mayor Kai Wegner, who called the decision "a strong signal for professional soccer and for women in elite-level sports," but spelled Eta's name wrong in the process. The club corrected him. "We were so overwhelmed," Wegner answered.

Additional reporting from AP