The desert is usually where careers go to hibernate. Matthias Jaissle’s went in the opposite direction. At 38, until only a few seasons ago, his career looked like a fairly ordinary one by Austrian standards: two league titles won with Salzburg, which had become almost customary for whoever occupied the Red Bull club’s dugout in recent years. Then came the unexpected move, a three-year spell at Al-Ahli.
Now comes the chance to take the biggest step of his career. After Eddie Howe’s difficult departure, Jaissle takes over at Newcastle in the Premier League. On the surface, it is an unusual route. In many ways, it remains one. But it may also be a path that becomes increasingly familiar in the years ahead. When Jaissle chose the Saudi Pro League in 2023, the financial reasons were obvious. There was another ambition behind the decision too, one he never put aside: becoming a top coach in European football. With players such as Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez in his squad, he achieved something nobody at Al-Ahli had managed before, leading the club to its first AFC Champions League title. A year later, they won it again.
The journey was not always straightforward, particularly with league form that often swung between convincing and inconsistent. At one point, as reported by The Guardian, even Max Allegri appeared close to replacing the German coach. Instead, Jaissle stayed in charge, backed by supporters who had never really turned against him – and, looking back, with good reason. Before defeating Kawasaki Frontale in the 2025 final, Al-Ahli had already eliminated the more highly regarded Al-Hilal side featuring Sergej Milinković-Savić, Kalidou Koulibaly and several other prominent names who had left European football behind. Last April, they repeated the feat against another Japanese side, Machida Zelvia. By then, Jaissle’s work in Saudi Arabia had become impossible to overlook.
There is no miracle behind the jump from Jeddah to Newcastle. However impressive his work has been, the connection between the two clubs is a straightforward one: both belong to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which in recent years has expanded its presence in football at remarkable speed. Newcastle arrive after a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League and at the beginning of another period of change, on the pitch and within the squad. Choosing Jaissle is both a gamble and a logical decision. The people running both clubs already know him well. He, meanwhile, has been impeccable in making the most of the opportunity that has taken him to England. Winning in the Premier League will be extremely difficult. But then again, winning in Asia was hardly simple when Jaissle first arrived there. He has already shown that predictions do not carry much weight with him.