The German coach will lead Newcastle next season.
Matthias Jaissle didn’t walk away from Al-Ahli on a whim. The German’s exit from the Saudi club was the result of a chain of events that stretches back roughly two months.
Press reports confirmed that Jaissle tendered his resignation the day before yesterday, Thursday, to take charge of Newcastle United next season as successor to Eddie Howe.
Catalan newspaper “Sport” ran a report claiming Barcelona were the primary cause of Newcastle’s current turmoil, and it all kicked off two months ago.
It began on 29 May, when Barcelona announced the signing of English winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for 70 million euros, plus 10 million in add-ons.
Gordon’s exit hurt. He was the player Newcastle could have built their project around, especially after Swedish striker Alexander Isak left for Liverpool last summer.
That transfer opened the door for others. Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali went first, snapped up by Tottenham for 108 million euros.
Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes, the other midfielder, is close to joining Arsenal for 90 million euros.
With his stars leaving one after another, Eddie Howe saw no option but to step aside himself, citing the need for a break amid uncertainty over the team’s future next season.
His departure sent Newcastle’s management hunting for a new coach, and the choice fell on Jaissle after the outstanding work he’d delivered with Al-Ahli over the past three years.
The German led the Saudi side to the AFC Champions League Elite title for the first time in their history, then did it again for a second time, and added the Super Cup after a nine-year absence.