Claudia Roth, a former culture minister for the Green Party, is advocating for more female coaches in the men’s Bundesliga, following the example set by Union Berlin. Speaking to Spiegel, the Green parliamentary member stated, “Gender should not play a role when filling positions such as that in the Bundesliga or any other area. Women have proven for decades that they are equally competent as men when it comes to leadership roles”. Roth suggested that the current “toxic environment unfortunately still prevailing in professional football might finally decrease with female leaders” noting that this would be an advantage for the sport.
Roth commended 1. FC Union for appointing Marie-Louise Eta last weekend as the first head coach in the history of the men’s Bundesliga. However, she also pointed out that Eta has subsequently faced criticism and abuse on social media. Roth praised Union Berlin for doing what she believes is right by publicly supporting her and condemning the behavior of certain fans, stating that the club is demonstrating a stance that is “essential for such an appointment and should actually be taken for granted”.
According to Roth, Eta is an “established football professional” who meets all the qualifications that male colleagues would be judged on herself. Furthermore, she added that having awareness of one’s own competence serves as an important shield against abuse and harassment, making support from one’s surrounding circle extremely crucial. The Green politician is affiliated with FC Augsburg and also serves as a vice-chairwoman of the board for the German Football Association’s (DFB) culture foundation.