BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin has appointed Mauro Lustrinelli — a man — as the successor to Marie-Louise Eta, the Bundesliga’s first female head coach.
Lustrinelli, who led unheralded Thun to the Swiss championship a year after leading it to promotion, agreed to take over at Union for next season, the club announced on Thursday without divulging the length of his contract.
“The 50-year-old Swiss brings international experience as well as a clear, development-oriented playing philosophy with him,” Union said in a statement.
Lustrinelli takes over from Eta, who succeeded in ensuring Union’s Bundesliga survival after she took over the team from the fired Steffan Baumgart in April. Eta was appointed on an interim basis for Union’s last five games of the season. After starting with two defeats, her team earned a draw and finished with two wins and ultimately placed 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga.
As initially planned, Eta will coach Union’s women’s team next season as per the contract she signed on April 3 to become Ailien Poese’s successor.
Union will be hoping Eta and Lustrinelli enjoy similar success with their respective teams.
Lustrinelli, a former forward whose 20 goals helped Thun qualify for the Champions League in 2005, played 12 games for Switzerland and was part of the squad that competed at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Lustrinelli turned to coaching in 2012, initially in various positions at Thun, before he took over the Switzerland Under-21 team in 2018 and led it to two European titles. He returned to second-division Thun in 2022 and led the team to promotion, then the Swiss championship last season.
“Lustrinelli has demonstrated his ability to shape and develop teams over the past few years. Winning a championship title with a newly promoted side speaks volumes about his professional expertise, as well as his capacity to lead and inspire a group,” Union sporting director Horst Heldt said.
“His approach to the game also aligns perfectly with our vision. We aim to play a more proactive style of football, increasingly integrate young players, and achieve success together,” Heldt said.
Union has good experience with Swiss coaches after Urs Fischer led the Köpenick-based club to Bundesliga promotion for the first time in 2019, then increasingly high finishes culminating in Champions League qualification in 2023.
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