'First in history': Female Bundesliga 1st division coach loses again → 'What about Jung Woo-young?' relegation crisis... 2 straight losses 'crumble'

*This content was translated by AI.

Marie-Luise Ethe (34), the first woman to take charge of a men's first-division team across Europe's top five leagues, drew global attention, but she bowed her head after suffering two consecutive defeats since her debut. Regardless of her historic achievement, her club, Union Berlin, now faces the worrying prospect of relegation.

Under Ethe's leadership, Berlin suffered a 1-3 away defeat against RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on the 25th (Korea time) in the 31st round of the 2025-2026 German Bundesliga. After making her historic debut in the previous match against Wolfsburg, Ethe failed to secure any points in her second game, enduring a harsh coaching debut.

With this defeat, Berlin remains at 8 wins, 8 draws, and 15 losses in 31 matches, accumulating 32 points. Although currently ranked 11th, it is too early to feel secure about staying in the league. They are only 6 points ahead of 16th-place St. Pauli, which has 26 points from 30 matches. Considering St. Pauli has one fewer game played, the gap could narrow to just 3 points depending on the results of the remaining matches. With the Bundesliga schedule consisting of 34 matches total, the outcomes of the remaining three games will determine the team's fate.

Berlin lost control of the game from the start, struggling significantly against Leipzig. They conceded the opening goal to Max Pinkrepe in the 22nd minute of the first half and, just three minutes later in the 25th minute, allowed an additional goal to Homulu, causing their defensive line to collapse. This recurring issue of defensive instability in the early first half and immediately after the start of the second half, which had plagued them in the previous match against Wolfsburg, resurfaced.

There was no turnaround in the second half either. In the 18th minute of the second half, they conceded a third goal to Ridel Baku, effectively handing the momentum to the opponent. Although Danilo Duki scored a consolation goal late in the match, igniting hopes of a comeback, it was not enough to overturn the already significant deficit.

Meanwhile, Jung Woo-young of Berlin was absent from today's match due to injury. According to local reports, Jung is expected to return as early as the next round.

Previously, after suffering a 1-3 defeat to bottom-placed Heidenheim last week, Berlin made the bold move of abruptly dismissing head coach Steffen Baumgart. To save the team, they made the unprecedented decision to appoint Ethe, who had been coaching the under-19 (U-19) team, as the interim head coach. Ethe is a legendary figure who won the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2010 and secured three Women's Bundesliga titles during her playing career. She already made history in 2023 when she was appointed as Berlin's first female senior coach.

According to foreign media such as 'ESPN' at the time of her debut, Berlin fans enthusiastically cheered "Goddess of Football" whenever Ethe's name was announced. Key players such as veteran Christopher Trimmel and defender Derek Kohn also expressed support, stating, "It is comfortable to trust and follow Coach Ethe's plans." Ethe herself demonstrated strong determination, emphasizing that the team's survival takes precedence over her personal records.

However, while the streak of consecutive scoreless games was finally broken, the chain of defeats could not be halted. Coach Ethe must now engage in a final battle to secure Berlin's place in the Bundesliga against Cologne, Mainz, and Augsburg.

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*This content was translated by AI.