Matthias Jaissle, the other Brian Clough of Asian football

Less than two years ago, FourFourTwo was scouting Al Ahli’s training sessions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Rumors were rife that day: “If they lose this match, the coach could well be sacked,” a Saudi league expert confided to us the day before the Jeddah derby. Al Ahli had won just three of their first eight games in the 2024-25 season and were eighth before facing Al Ittihad in a clash that drew 52,546 spectators. Yet Al Ahli was one of the country’s four flagship clubs, all owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The results were falling short of expectations. An unknown who became a legend in months At the time, attention was focused on Ivan Toney, Al Ahli’s new signing, rather than Matthias Jaissle, who was largely unknown to British audiences. The German coach, who had worked under Thomas Tuchel in VfB Stuttgart’s youth teams, had his own credentials to tout. “Let’s see if Thomas calls me to ask how Ivan is doing,” he told FourFourTwo. “He has the potential, that’s for sure. He needs to perform here to be noticed back in England, and we’re doing everything to put him in the best possible shape.” A few months later, Tuchel did indeed call Jaissle to check on Toney’s form. The feedback was so positive that the German national team coach included him in his squad for the 2024 World Cup. Yet at that point, Jaissle could already have been gone. He had lost the derby to Al Ittihad, a tense match disrupted by a sandstorm. He had dodged the sack, but two months later, after a defeat to Al Kholood, his departure was imminent, with Max Allegri tipped to replace him. It was only after ultras unfurled a banner reading “Enough failures, leave!” outside the training center that the club changed its mind. Jaissle stayed—and within months became a cult figure at Al Ahli. From Hoffenheim to Salzburg, a bumpy journey During his playing career, Jaissle was a central defender who helped Hoffenheim reach the Bundesliga in 2008 at just 20 years old. He was then set to join Germany's under-21 team alongside Mesut Özil, Mats Hummels, and Manuel Neuer, crowned European champions in 2009. However, a serious knee injury sidelined him from competition and ended his ambitions. Further physical issues forced him to retire in 2014 at the age of 25. He then turned to coaching, becoming a youth coach at RB Leipzig under Ralf Rangnick, a key figure in the Red Bull project. Jaissle adopted a high-pressing playing style, a philosophy he retained thereafter.After a stint as an assistant at Brøndby IF, he joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2021, initially taking charge of the reserve team, FC Liefering, before leading the first team. With young talents like Benjamin Šeško, Karim Adeyemi, Noah Okafor, and Brenden Aaronson, he guided the club to a domestic double in his first season and reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the first time in its history, despite a heavy 7-1 defeat to Bayern Munich. At just 33, he followed this with a 30-match unbeaten streak and another national title. Salzburg then won its tenth consecutive league title, a record that ended with his departure the following summer.

Al Ahli, the Asian pinnacle before Newcastle

Jaissle arrived at Al Ahli a month after the club, purchased by Saudi Arabia's PIF alongside Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, had been crowned champions in 2016 before being relegated. The club returned to the top flight at the same time as the German coach's arrival. Quickly, Al Ahli signed Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy, Franck Kessié, and Allan Saint-Maximin, a former Newcastle player. Jaissle finished third in his first season, qualifying for the AFC Champions League. Toney, meanwhile, scored 72 goals in two seasons under his guidance. Despite a difficult start to the 2024-25 season, with a string of disappointing results, Jaissle remained calm. "Things take time. The club has a long-term vision," he told FourFourTwo, implicitly calling for patience. "I hope we can do better by applying the philosophy from the top down to the academy, because at some point, we will need young talent. For me, this is the right approach." He added, "Many signings had been made before my arrival, so as a coach, you need to be flexible enough to adapt to a new country, a new culture, and different player profiles. In the long term, it's important that everyone is aligned, that we improve the squad and the players in the desired style of play." Jaissle ultimately benefited from this time. Qualifying for the AFC Champions League knockout stages, secured through a stronger second half of the season, saved his job. Al Ahli even became Asian champions for the first time in its history, taking advantage of playing the last three matches at home. After eliminating defending Saudi champions Al Hilal in the semifinals, the club defeated Kawasaki Frontale, the group winner alongside Ronaldo's Al Nassr. The following season, despite finishing third in the league, Al Ahli put in a performance reminiscent of Nottingham Forest by winning the continental title again. Toney was one of the key contributors. So when the PIF, owner of Newcastle, sought a successor to Eddie Howe this summer, Jaissle’s appointment was hardly surprising. Howe had delivered Newcastle’s first trophy in 56 years. But why settle for a coach who won one historic title when you can hire one who has won two?