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Ingolstadt appoint first female coach in German men's pro football

Sabrina Wittmann leads her first training session as Ingolstadt's head coach. Sabrina Wittmann is the new head coach at FC Ingolstadt and succeeds Michael Kollner until the end of the season. Born in Ingolstadt, she is the first female coach in professional men's soccer in Germany. Daniel Löb/dpa
Sabrina Wittmann leads her first training session as Ingolstadt's head coach. Sabrina Wittmann is the new head coach at FC Ingolstadt and succeeds Michael Kollner until the end of the season. Born in Ingolstadt, she is the first female coach in professional men's soccer in Germany. Daniel Löb/dpa

Sabrina Wittmann has become the first-ever female coach in German men's professional football after being appointed interim coach at third division team Ingolstadt.

Wittman will replace Michael Köllner until the end of the season. She previously coached Ingolstadt's under-19 team.

"There's no other place I would have rather made my debut in. Ingolstadt is very special for me, my hometown club. I started here 19 years ago, was a player myself and took my first steps as a coach," she said.

Last year, Marie-Louise Eta became the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history at Union Berlin, but until now there had never been a female head coach in one of the professional leagues in Germany.

"Sabrina Wittmann knows our club better than almost anyone else. As the current head coach of our very successful U19s, she has continuously developed over the past few years - both professionally and personally - and is rightly held in extremely high regard by everyone at the club," managing director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said.

Whether she will take the permanent job next season is unclear. Ingolstadt are currently 11th in the third division, the lowest-level professional league in German football.

Sabrina Wittmann leads her first training session as Ingolstadt's head coach. Sabrina Wittmann is the new head coach at FC Ingolstadt and succeeds Michael Kollner until the end of the season. Born in Ingolstadt, she is the first female coach in professional men's soccer in Germany. Daniel Löb/dpa
Sabrina Wittmann leads her first training session as Ingolstadt's head coach. Sabrina Wittmann is the new head coach at FC Ingolstadt and succeeds Michael Kollner until the end of the season. Born in Ingolstadt, she is the first female coach in professional men's soccer in Germany. Daniel Löb/dpa
Ingolstadt coach Michael Köllner stands in the stadium during the German 3rd division soccer match between SG Dynamo Dresden and FC Ingolstadt 04 at Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. Sabrina Wittmann has become the first-ever female coach in German men's professional football after being appointed interim coach at third division team Ingolstadt. Robert Michael/dpa