Matthias Jaissle appointed new Newcastle manager after leaving Al-Ahli

Matthias Jaissle has described Newcastle “as an incredibly compelling place to be” after finally formalising his managerial move from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli.

The 38-year-old German has been with his new players at their training camp in La Manga, southern Spain, since last Saturday but, despite also falling under the ownership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Al-Ahli took time to provide Newcastle with some vital paperwork regarding the release of a head coach they were extremely reluctant to lose.

Jaissle won two Asian Champions Leagues at the Jeddah-based club and, having enjoyed earlier success during a much-vaunted stint in charge of RB Salzburg, is regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in football. He will be installed as the head coach at St James’ Park.

Nonetheless, the task of succeeding Eddie Howe with the start of the new season only a fortnight away is considerable – and particularly as Newcastle have lost three key players this summer in Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and, now, the Arsenal-bound Bruno Guimarães.

Jaissle remains undaunted. “When Newcastle United come your way you take notice,” he said. “The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be.

“I am incredibly excited about the future. I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the direction the club is taking. There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.”

Under Howe, Newcastle’s motto was “intensity is our identity” and Jaissle suggested he would be following a similar path. “My teams are built on togetherness, hard work and a passion to improve every single day,” he said.

“I believe there is enormous potential within this squad and throughout this football club. I give my complete commitment and total energy to bringing further success to Newcastle.”

With Howe’s coaching staff having departed with him, Jaissle is assembling a new backroom team but it seems David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s chief executive, and Ross Wilson, the sporting director, have full faith in his ability to revive the fortunes of a club that finished a disappointing 12th in the Premier League last season. “Matthias is one of the most exciting and highly regarded young coaches in football and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Newcastle,” Hopkinson said.

Wilson said: “Matthias’s 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 our discussions throughout the recruitment process.”