Matthias Jaissle is unlikely to be intimidated by the prospect of managing a prominent port-city club whose devoted supporters are eager to see success after years of disappointment. If he replaces Eddie Howe, the 38-year-old German would depart Jeddah with an outstanding reputation and move to north-east England as one of Asian football’s most decorated managers.
Jaissle is 10 years younger than Howe but has already built an impressive résumé. He not only lasted in the highly demanding Saudi Pro League, where managers are frequently replaced, but also delivered major trophies. The transition could be made easier by the fact that Al-Ahli and Newcastle are both owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Newcastle supporters may not be familiar with the former central defender, whose playing days ended prematurely because of injury. He was similarly unknown to many Saudi fans when he arrived three years earlier. Austrian football attracts limited attention in Asia, so his two league championships with Red Bull Salzburg and his connection to Ralf Rangnick carried relatively little weight.
At the time, Al-Ahli supporters were more concerned with the club’s return to the top division following a season in the second tier, as well as the expected arrival of several famous players. The circumstances differ somewhat from those at St James’ Park, where Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have already left and other notable departures may follow.
After PIF took control of the club, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy, Franck Kessié and several other high-profile players moved to Jeddah during the same summer. It represented a dramatic transformation for a side that had been struggling only a year before.
For all those expectations, Al-Ahli may have been an ideal destination for Jaissle. The club’s supporters are renowned for their passion, yet the team had secured only one domestic league championship since 1984. It had also suffered two heavy defeats in Asian Champions League finals. Compared with fellow PIF-owned clubs Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli had experienced relatively little success, meaning that simply competing near the top initially satisfied many fans.
Despite being only 35 when appointed, Jaissle appeared comfortable managing a squad filled with prominent names. His direct approach and willingness to treat overseas stars and local players equally earned respect. With numerous attacking options available, he encouraged his side to regain possession high up the pitch, creating opportunities for players such as Mahrez. His energetic, forward-thinking system could become even more intense in the cooler conditions of north-east England than it was in Jeddah’s heat and humidity.
Al-Ahli placed third in Jaissle’s opening campaign, finishing 11 points clear of city rivals Al-Ittihad and, most importantly, securing qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite. His second season initially proved more challenging. Following Allan Saint-Maximin’s departure, Jaissle requested another winger, but the club instead recruited Ivan Toney, who made a slow start. Performances declined before beginning to recover in January 2025, when Jaissle’s position still appeared uncertain. Max Allegri was reportedly prepared to replace him, offering the kind of famous appointment that often excites supporters. Al-Ahli’s fans, however, stood behind Jaissle, who had regularly made an effort to acknowledge and engage with them. Some even gathered at the training ground carrying banners that called for changes within the club’s management rather than in the dugout.
Their campaign succeeded, with Al-Ahli publicly confirming that Jaissle would remain and retain the club’s full backing. Porto winger Galeno then arrived, and the Brazilian’s presence helped Toney rediscover his best form as the team improved significantly. Although Al-Ahli ended Jaissle’s second league season in fifth place, they earned more points than in the previous campaign. Their main achievement came in the Champions League. They overcame Al-Hilal, winners of 19 Saudi championships and four Asian titles, in the semi-finals before defeating Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in front of 60,000 spectators in Jeddah in May 2025.
Al-Ahli repeated the achievement the following May, securing another Asian championship and becoming the first club since Jeddah rivals Al-Ittihad in 2004 and 2005 to win consecutive Champions League titles.
The team also remained in contention for the domestic championship until the closing weeks of the season, with Toney scoring 32 goals. Al-Ahli accumulated 81 points from 34 matches, improving their previous season’s total by 14. Had Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal been less consistent, Jaissle’s side might have completed a remarkable double.
Winning the Saudi Pro League was expected to be the priority when the new campaign began in August, but responsibility for that objective now appears likely to pass to another manager.
Jaissle was recently associated with a possible move to Al-Hilal, an outcome that would have upset many Al-Ahli supporters. A switch to Newcastle, by contrast, would carry the approval of most fans in Jeddah. A return to European football always seemed probable for the German, who would leave Saudi Arabia having captured major honours where numerous older and more experienced managers were unable to do so. The Newcastle position, however, would present a more difficult challenge.
He would no longer be operating among Saudi football’s dominant clubs, but guiding Newcastle toward the Premier League’s top four would provide an encouraging beginning.
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