Jaissle has a lot to prove at Newcastle after Asian success

LONDON: It’s not just Newcastle United fans who will be scrutinizing Matthias Jaissle in the coming days and weeks. Fans around the world, and especially Saudi Arabia, will be curious to see if he can translate his success in Asia to the unforgiving English Premier League.

At just 38, the German leaves Al-Ahli after leading the team to their first AFC Champions League Elite title in 2025 and then repeating the feat in May, making the Greens the first team to successfully defend the continental crown since Jeddah rivals Al-Ittihad (who may well be glad to see the back of the tactician) in 2005.

Despite that, and his two Austrian titles with RB Salzburg, the former center back — whose playing career was cut short due to injury — will have plenty to prove. Young coaches rarely, if ever, arrive in England’s top tier from leagues outside Europe. It is a testament to the job that Jaissle has done in Jeddah that he is now considered a pioneer. 

It is not just about those back-to-back Asian titles but the fact he arrived in a new country at the tender age of 35 to take over a team that may be one of the big boys in Saudi Arabia, but that had also just been promoted from the second tier. To finish third, fifth and third while increasing the points tally season-by-season was impressive. Al-Ahli finished 31 points behind the champions in 2023-24, 16 in the next campaign and then just five points in May. He had turned the Greens into challengers at home and champions away.

Now he travels north again, from one port city to another. This time he will be by the North Sea, where the wind that blows may be colder than that from the Red Sea but the local passion is just as hot. Like Al-Ahli three years ago, Newcastle are desperate