"Goddess of Soccer!" Cheers → Historic Debut of First Female Coach "Extremely Disappointing and Bitter"... Humiliating 1-2 Loss to Bottom of Table

*This content was translated by AI.

Marie-Luise Ehta (34), the first woman to take charge of a men's first team across Europe's top five leagues, made history in her debut match. However, she could not smile as her team suffered a defeat.

Under new coach Ehta, Union Berlin lost 1-2 to Wolfsburg in the 31st round of the 2025-2026 German Bundesliga, played on the 19th (Korean time) at Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Berlin, Germany.

With this loss, Berlin's gap with the relegation zone narrowed to six points, triggering an emergency in the battle to avoid relegation.

Earlier, Berlin had lost 1-3 to last-place Heidenheim last week, leading to the sudden dismissal of coach Steffen Baumgart. Following this, Ehta, who had been leading the under-19 team, was appointed as interim head coach in a bold move to save the team.

Ehta, who became the first female coach in Europe's top five leagues, experienced the UEFA Women's Champions League title in 2010 and won the Women's Bundesliga three times during her playing career. She also made history in 2023 when she was appointed as Berlin's first female assistant coach.

The atmosphere for the debut match was electric. According to "ESPN," Berlin fans chanted "God of Soccer" every time the lineup was announced, and when Ehta's name was called, they enthusiastically cheered "Goddess of Soccer."

However, the result fell short of expectations. Berlin's defensive focus wavered in the early stages and immediately after the second half began, conceding consecutive goals to Wolfsburg's Patrick Vetter and Zoran Pajic. Despite launching a relentless attack in the final minutes, they were blocked by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Kamil Grabara and failed to secure any points.

After the match, Coach Ehta said, "The defeat is extremely disappointing. However, I am very satisfied with the performance shown by the players today." She added, "We had many conversations this week. I saw the players training with good energy and confidence. The plans we prepared over the past few days were well implemented in today's match."

She then showed a focus on the team's survival rather than her own historic record. Coach Ehta stated, "Today, it was important to focus on the essence of a soccer match. I was truly looking forward to this game," but added, "In the end, leaving without any points is very bitter and disappointing."

Berlin veteran Christopher Trimmel supported Coach Ehta. Trimmel said, "It is difficult to instill everything new in just three or four days. However, Berlin executed the game plan well today and showed positive aspects."

Defender Derek Koen also said, "The team implemented Coach Ehta's game plan well, and all teammates felt very comfortable playing with her. We wanted to gift a victory, but unfortunately, we could not succeed."

Coach Ehta will fight for Bundesliga survival in the remaining four matches against Leipzig, Cologne, Mainz, and Augsburg. After the end of this season, she plans to officially take over as the head coach of Berlin's women's professional team as scheduled.

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*This content was translated by AI.