Who is Matthias Jaissle? Newcastle set to appoint little-known Al Ahli boss as Eddie Howe’s replacement

NEWCASTLE are expected to name little-known Matthias Jaissle as their new head coach after Eddie Howe’s shock departure. News of Howe‘s exit – just weeks before the start of the new Premier League season – has rocked fans on Tyneside. Matthias Jaissle is expected to become Newcastle’s next head coach Credit: Getty Eddie Howe has ended his five-year spell at Newcastle Credit: PA The 48-year-old ends his five-year tenure as one of Newcastle‘s most successful managers after guiding the club to their first major trophy in 70 years by winning the Carabao Cup in 2025. He also led the Magpies to Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! It’s understood Howe‘s departure comes after he told Toon chiefs he wants to take a break from coaching. Newcastle are now poised to name their replacement, with Jaissle expected to take the St James’ Park hotseat – SunSport brings you the lowdown on the young coach. Who is potential new Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle? Jaissle, 38, is currently in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli, who, like Newcastle, are majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The German was a talented centre-back in his playing days, but was forced to retire in 2014 at the age of just 26 after never truly recovering from a knee injury picked up five years earlier. Jaissle [L] during his playing days Credit: Getty Former Manchester United boss Ralph Rangnick came to Jaissle’s aid after that and invited him on a trainee programme with RB Leipzig’s youth academy. The pair knew each other as Rangnick coached a young Jaissle during his time as manager of Hoffenheim and he reached out in his new role as RB Leipzig’s head of sport. Most read in Football He temporarily left the Austrian giants in 2021, becoming a head coach for the first time at Liefering. In his first season, the German led the team to second in the Austrian second tier, the club’s joint best-ever finish. Jaissle’s exploits earned him the top job at RB Salzburg, replacing Jesse Marsch. During his time in charge at the Red Bull Arena, he managed the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Karim Adeyemi, who now play for Manchester United and Barcelona respectively. He won the Austrian Bundesliga in both of his two seasons in charge and was heralded as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe. In 2023, Jaissle joined Al Ahli, where he has won the Asian Champions League Elite twice and the Saudi Super Cup. The Saudi club have England striker Ivan Toney and former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy on their books. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel was a youth coach at Stuttgart when Jaissle was coming through as a player and the two Germans spoke before Toney was included in England’s World Cup squad this summer. At the time of the squad announcement, Tuchel said: “I had fantastic feedback from his club coach, who was my player and I have a close connection with him.” What is Jaissle’s style of play? Newcastle fans will be happy to know Jaissle likes to play high-pressing attacking football, not too dissimilar to what we have seen from Howe’s sides in the past. During his time at Al Ahli, the German has often played a 4-2-3-1, but Jaissle has previously explained it’s more about principles of play than the formation. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It is not about formations that much. It is more how you want to play, how you want to attack, how you want to defend. “If you understand that and the players understand that, tactically you are much more flexible and the formation is not that important.” “It can be demanding for players. These days the players are more and more involved in tactical things. “Every coach and every club works with principles, so every player has to know a lot of things, tactically, in each phase of the game. I think that’s a big change.” In 2024, Jaissle drew upon some of the coaches who have influenced his career, but he insisted he has his own style. The German told GiveMeSport: “I have always tried to be authentic as a coach and find my own way. “Of course, I have influences. Ralf Rangnick played a big part in developing my ideas because I played under him for most of my playing career. “And in my youth, I had Thomas Tuchel, so I have followed his principles and career. Then there’s Jurgen Klopp – I often looked at the transitions he put in place with Liverpool. “In possession, I like how Pep Guardiola finds structure and balance. And there’s a lot to take from Roberto De Zerbi’s build-up as well. It’s a constant learning process. “I am always refining my style, but essentially, and I know it’s easy to say, we want dominance in all phases of the game. “It’s a never-ending process because you always need to develop your ideas as a coach without abandoning your roots. “At Salzburg, I played a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. At Al-Ahli, we use a 4-2-3-1 system. You have to adjust to the squad you have as well as the circumstances.” Comment now