Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany says Marie-Louise Eta's appointment at Union Berlin is 'special', 'opens doors' for women

Eta became the first woman to be given the top coaching role of a men's team in the top five European leagues when it was announced on Sunday she would take over the 11th-placed side for the remainder of the season following the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart.

Having already made history as the first woman to serve as an assistant coach in the men's Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season, Eta now leads the side for their final five matches of the season.

Speaking ahead of Bayern's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - Kompany said it is important not to overlook Eta's continued strides in men's football.

"I'm really happy for her," Kompany said. "It’s always very easy to dismiss these key moments and say she’s just a coach like any other.

"But ultimately, it’s something quite special. It opens up opportunities for younger women who feel they too can become coaches. It opens doors. I wish her all the best.”

While Eta's Union Berlin will look to consolidate their place in the German top flight, Kompany will continue his side's charge towards a 13th league title in 14 years, which could be confirmed on Sunday, providing Bayern better the result of Borussia Dortmund.

And alongside domestic dominance, the Bavarian giants will hope to add a first UEFA Champions League trophy since 2020.

Kompany's side have looked imperious in their pursuit for European glory so far this season, and lead 15-time winners Madrid 2-1 going into the second leg at the Allianz Arena.

But the Bayern boss was keen to dismiss the fervent praise being directed towards his managerial credentials.

He notably earmarked his relegation from the Premier League with Burnley in the 2023/24 campaign as a reason why you cannot "get caught up in the hype", insisting he does not care about external noise around him and his team.

"You can’t get caught up in the hype," Kompany said. "And you can’t always get caught up in the drama.

"When I arrived here at Bayern, I'd been promoted with 101 points, relegated with 20, then won the league here – you can’t live with the fact that two years ago I was the worst manager, and today I’m the very best.

"If you let yourself be influenced by all that noise, you’ll end up getting worse. It’s nicer this way, but I can also thrive in a tougher environment and live happily. I don’t care."

Alvaro Arbeloa's Madrid side have stuttered both in La Liga and Europe in recent weeks, and are threatened with the prospect of a season without silverware. But Kompany said their recent slide does not tell the story of the quality in their ranks, and that they remain one of the strongest teams in the continent.

"One of the key things, no doubt, is that we have a great deal of respect for Real," Kompany said. "We felt that way even before the game at the Bernabeu, and we still do.

"We’re preparing for the best version of Real, which is what we saw against Manchester City [in the last 16]. Their recent results don’t reflect the talent they possess.

"They’re still one of the best teams in Europe. But what about the history of Barcelona, Atletico, Liverpool, Bayern, Arsenal? Everyone can tell a story of when they did something incredible. So can we.

"When we lost to Inter and travelled to Milan [in last year's quarter-final], we were 100% certain we could win. Real feel the same now. But we also know how to hurt them. I firmly believe we can win. We can talk about everything else afterwards, but I’m not giving any space for that before then."

Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Serie A and Men's and Women's FA Cup and more on TNT Sports and HBO Max.