Ciarán FaheySabrina Wittmann is the first and only woman to be head coach of a men’s team in the top three divisions in Germany.
"I hope that things will change, and not only for me, but for every other woman who wants to be a coach," the Ingolstadt coach says.
Female coach Sabrina Wittmann blazing a lonely trail in Germany
As the first and only woman to be appointed head coach of a professional man’s soccer team in Germany, Sabrina Wittmann faces more pressure and scrutiny than most of her counterparts. Wittmann has been the coach of her hometown club, third-division Ingolstadt, since 2024. Wittmann says, “I opened the door a little for women. And at the beginning I was honestly afraid of closing the door as quickly (again).” Ingolstadt has extended her contract just over a month after she got her pro license, the German soccer federation’s highest coaching credential.