Newcastle United have a new head coach in the dugout as the Magpies prepare to square-up to Everton at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Wednesday, August 12 (kick-off 5.15pm) in a glamour pre-season challenge.
Matthias Jaissle, widely-recognised as one of Europe’s leading young coaches, arrives on Tyneside following remarkable success with both Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli.
The 38-year-old emerged as the clear outstanding candidate to lead the Tyneside club after the resignation of English-born Eddie Howe and he has an impressive record.
After being appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg he enjoyed immediate success in Austria, winning a domestic double in his first season.
German-born Jaissle also guided the club to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history before securing a second consecutive league title and further European progress in the UEFA Europa League.
On joining Al-Ahli, Jaissle transformed the side into one of Asia’s leading teams, securing qualification for the AFC Champions League in his first season. He leaves after leading the club to back-to-back AFC Champions League titles, becoming the first coach to achieve the feat.
His ability to develop players, build resilient, cohesive and high-energy teams, and contribute to elite high-performance environments, has distinguished him throughout his coaching career, and his football philosophy and leadership style are strongly aligned with the direction, ambitions and culture of Newcastle United.
David Hopkinson, Newcastle United’s CEO, said: “Matthias is one of the most exciting and highly-regarded young coaches in football and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Newcastle United.
“We have conducted a thorough process, and he has emerged as the clear candidate for the role. He possesses all the qualities we were looking for.
“His track record of success, leadership qualities and relentless drive to improve make him an exceptional fit for Newcastle United. We believe he is the right person to lead the club into the next phase of our journey.”
The Tyneside club’s sporting director, Ross Wilson, said: “Matthias’ leadership style and football philosophy are strongly aligned with our sporting vision. His teams play high-energy football and we could feel his passion during all of our discussions throughout the recruitment process.
“He has consistently demonstrated an ability to improve players, build cohesive teams and create elite performance environments in his coaching career.
“His successes at Salzburg and Al-Ahli underline his ability to deliver results while developing a clear football identity. We believe he is uniquely positioned to build on the strong foundations already in place and help take Newcastle United forward.”
United come north and the latest news is that hugely-popular player and captain, Bruno Guimaraes, is set to join Arsenal, media reports suggesting strongly that the 28-year-old Brazilian is close to signing a deal to take him to the Emirates Stadium.
