Matthias Jaissle: Tactics, trophies, coaching career and style of play ahead of Newcastle United move

Matthias Jaissle is expected to succeed Eddie Howe as Newcastle United's next manager. According to multiple reports, Newcastle have reached a verbal agreement with the Al Ahli head coach on a deal running until June 2030, with the paperwork expected to be signed in the coming days.

The move follows Howe's departure on the morning of July 30, a decision he had reportedly been weighing for several weeks before informing the club.

Jaissle, 38, has emerged as Newcastle's clear first choice, helped in part by the fact that Newcastle and Al Ahli are both majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a shared ownership structure that has made negotiations between the two clubs more straightforward.

Sports Mole takes a look at who Matthias Jaissle is, his tactical approach, style of play, trophies and previous clubs.

Matthias Jaissle: From player to coach

Jaissle was born on April 5, 1988, and began his career as a centre-back in Stuttgart's academy. He won one cap for Germany's under-21 side before injury forced him into retirement in 2014, at the age of 25, following a career at Hoffenheim.

His coaching path started in 2017, when he became assistant manager at Danish club Brondby. Two years later, he joined RB Salzburg as head coach of the club's under-18 side.

Jaissle took his first senior head coach role at FC Liefering, Salzburg's feeder club, in January 2021. He then stepped up to become Salzburg's first-team manager later that year, replacing Jesse Marsch.

Matthias Jaissle Salzburg years: Pressing and a diamond midfield

At Salzburg, Jaissle typically deployed a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Full-backs provided width while a deep-lying midfielder dropped in to form a back three alongside the central defenders in possession.

Out of possession, his side pressed intensely and narrowly, aiming to push the opposition into wide areas before pouncing. This approach frequently morphed into a 4-2-3-1 shape in defence, with one centre-forward jumping to press a wide centre-back or full-back while the midfield diamond retained a central overload.

At times, Jaissle's Salzburg also operated from a 4-3-1-2 structure, which could resemble a 4-3-3 depending on the spacing of the front three. Whatever the exact shape, the underlying principle stayed the same: aggressive counter-pressing designed to win the ball back immediately after losing it, a hallmark of the broader Red Bull footballing philosophy.

Salzburg ranked among the most active pressing sides in the Austrian Bundesliga during Jaissle's tenure, sitting near the top of the league for fewest passes allowed per defensive action. That intensity was built around two central strikers pressing the opposition's central defenders, with wide midfielders shifting to close down full-backs once the ball moved out to the flanks.

Matthias Jaissle: A more balanced system at Al Ahli

Jaissle left Salzburg in 2023 to take charge of Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia. He has since favoured a more conventional 4-2-3-1 system, with Galeno and Riyad Mahrez operating on each flank and Ivan Toney as the central striker.

The move required Jaissle to integrate established international players, including Mahrez, Toney, Roberto Firmino and Franck Kessie, into a coherent structure.

He placed greater emphasis on defensive organisation at Al Ahli before launching rapid counter-attacks through wide areas, adapting his approach without abandoning his core pressing principles.

Out of possession at Al Ahli, Jaissle has set up an aggressive 4-1-3-2 press, with his two forwards closing down the opposition's centre-backs to force turnovers in dangerous areas.

Full-backs continue to push high up the pitch to provide width, a consistent feature of his sides throughout his career.

Matthias Jaissle: Trophies won

Jaissle won back-to-back Austrian Bundesliga titles with Salzburg, in 2021-22 and 2022-23, along with the Austrian Cup in 2021-22. He also guided Salzburg into the Champions League knockout stage for the first time in the club's history.

At Al Ahli, Jaissle has won the AFC Champions League Elite in consecutive seasons, 2024-25 and 2025-26, becoming the first coach to win the competition twice in a row. He also won the Saudi Super Cup with the club in 2025-26.

Why Matthias Jaissle style could suit Newcastle

Jaissle's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation could fit Newcastle's existing squad well. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento would be expected to support wide players who drift into central areas, while Bazoumana Toure, signed for £42 million after a productive season providing five goals and 12 assists for Jaissle's former club Hoffenheim, could suit a wide forward role in that system.

Jaissle's tactical flexibility, shown through his adaptation from Salzburg's pressing-based diamond to Al Ahli's more structured 4-2-3-1, points to a manager capable of moulding his principles around the players available to him, rather than forcing a rigid system onto a squad built for something else.

That adaptability, paired with his consistent emphasis on pressing and vertical transitions, suggests his methods should translate well to the demands of the Premier League.