Matthias Jaissle points to his neck when recalling the tumour he had at five years old. “Here in my neck so I couldn’t move it anymore,” the Newcastle United head coach says. That early experience shaped his outlook on health and resilience, teaching him how “important it is to be healthy, and how grateful you can be to be healthy and to follow your dream.”
Jaissle’s childhood illness cast doubt on whether he could ever play football again. Despite that, he made it to the professional ranks, becoming a defender for Hoffenheim. At one point, he felt close to earning a senior call-up for Germany, only for a serious knee injury at 20 to derail those ambitions. “I kept the dream for a lot longer than the doctors did,” Jaissle says, but the injury ultimately forced him to retire in 2014.
He spoke about the dark period after his playing career ended in an interview with BBC Sport, describing how the “wounds” he carried shaped his character. “That makes you the person you are, whatever aspect it is, with the belief you can overcome every obstacle,” he says. “Every setback also has a positive side. If you overcome these challenges then you become stronger, more resilient.”
His second career as a coach began unexpectedly. Ralf Rangnick, his former manager at Hoffenheim, invited him to join a training programme at RB Leipzig. Jaissle was set to rotate through different departments, including youth coaching and administrative roles. But after just two weeks assisting the youth team under Sebastien Hoeness, Jaissle stopped moving on. “I didn’t move on,” he says. “After two weeks, wow, I felt joy back in life.”
That rediscovery of purpose led him to Newcastle United. Jaissle climbed the coaching ladder with trophies at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria and Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia before arriving on Tyneside. His intensity and work rate impressed both players and staff. “Since the first meeting, it was clear this was our guy,” a senior Newcastle source told SCN.
The 38-year-old faced a baptism of fire stepping into the Premier League after Eddie Howe’s departure. Jaissle had just three weeks to prepare for Liverpool’s visit on the opening weekend, with the squad in transition. Captain Bruno Guimaraes was about to join Arsenal in a £75m deal, following Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali out the door. Newcastle’s roster shifted from one of the most experienced in the league to one of the youngest almost overnight, with eight signings all aged 24 or under.
Injuries to key players have compounded the challenge, but Jaissle has lost only once in his opening seven matches in all competitions—a 4-1 defeat at Leeds United. “I think there were elements in games where we saw a lot of the things we were looking for,” he said. “There were also phases in games where we were not happy and satisfied, so there’s still a lot of potential that we can improve.”
He acknowledged that it’s been “tougher than expected” to instil his ideas given a short pre-season packed with friendlies, but added: “Considering all these things, we’re doing good.” Jaissle remains confident that his aggressive style and vertical football will work, even if the team is still a work in progress.
Newcastle have made the most errors leading to shots (12) in the Premier League this season. At the same time, Jaissle’s side has averaged just over three shots on target per match, reflecting the youth and inexperience of the squad.
Off the pitch, Jaissle has settled quickly in Newcastle. He moved into a new home earlier this week after living in a hotel and has explored the city’s restaurants—though only to celebrate wins. After Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Hull City at St James’ Park, he even paid for a supporter’s birthday meal. “I really love the fans and the people here,” he said, underlining his growing bond with the club and the city.
According to Yahoo Sports.
