Sabrina Wittmann becomes German football's first female head coach
Wittmann makes German football history in the men’s game after turning her interim role into a permanent one at 3.Liga side FC Ingolstadt 04.
Wittmann was handed the role of head coach on an interim basis by the Bavarian side on May 2, after the club parted ways with Michael Köllner.
She was promoted from within the club structure, having held the role as head coach of Ingolstadt’s Under 19s.
Wittmann coached the U19 side for 24 of 26 games of the season, as they finished comfortably in second place behind Hoffenheim U19 in the South/South West Junioren Bundesliga.
Speaking to the club after the announcement was made, the Ingolstadt native said: “When I took over the first team on an interim basis in May, I had hoped that it would not just be a short adventure.”
Tasked with revitalising the side after her predecessor suffered a 4-0 defeat to Rot-Weiß Essen, Wittmann led her local club to two 1-1 draws, a season-highest scoreline in the 6-1 win against VfB Lübeck and triumphed over Würzburger Kickers in the final of the Landespokal Bayern.
The cup victory confirmed their place in the 1st round of the DFB-Pokal, where they will host previous finalists 1.FC Kaiserslautern.
The club’s board recognised the impact Wittmann managed to have in a relatively short space of time, clearly feeling that she is the person to take the club forward.
Sporting Director Ivo Grlic said: “Our in-depth analysis after the end of the season with a view to her time as interim coach, in which she gave the team many positive impulses in a short space of time, has strengthened our assumption once again.’’
According to Transfermarkt, Die Schanzer have the fifth highest market value in the 3.Liga, outranked by only Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg II, Dynamo Dresden and SV Sandhausen, who were in the 2.Bundesliga for eleven consecutive seasons before their relegation in the 22/23 season.
In 2013, car manufacturing giant Audi acquired a 20% stake in the club. Audi are also the sole owners of the club’s stadium, Audi Sportspark, and their training facilities.
Ingolstadt have been in the Bundesliga as recently as 2017, the club’s two-season stint in the top flight was led by current VfL Wolfsburg head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl and Brighton and Germany midfielder Pascal Gross was among their playing squad.
Clearly a club with significant resources, ambition, emphasis and funds available for their youth development, Wittmann - at just 32-years-old herself, ticked each box the club was looking for in a head coach.
"Of course, as a club we want to promote not only our young players, but also our coaching talents,’’ Grlic said.
‘’Sabrina Wittmann has worked extremely successfully at FC Ingolstadt 04 in recent years and has impressed not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level.
‘’She stands for offensive and courageous football, which she conveys with her authentic and passionate style of coaching and which she can carry the team along with.’’
Wittmann’s appointment has made history.
In addition, Marie-Louise Eta of 1.FC Union Berlin, made history of her own this season.
Eta became the first woman to appear on a Bundesliga bench as an assistant to interim head coach Marco Grote.
German football has seen an encouraging increase in progressive, forward-thinking ideals wherein talented coaches have been given high-profile opportunities irrespective of their gender instead of the traditional managerial carousel.