Newcastle have confirmed the hiring of 38-year-old Matthias Jaissle as coach to replace Eddie Howe, who stepped down after nearly five years in charge.

The German coach will immediately take charge of the Magpies in Spain at their pre-season training camp, which concludes on Saturday with a friendly match against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium.

The Premier League club did not specify the length of Jaissle’s contract.

Jaissle guided Saudi club Al-Ahli to back-to-back Asian Champions League Elite titles. He joined Al-Ahli in 2023 after leading Salzburg to consecutive Austrian league titles.

Newcastle open their EPL season on August 23 with a home match against Liverpool.

Howe confirmed last week that he stepped down. He had been in charge of Newcastle for nearly five years and during that time ended the Saudi-backed club’s decades-long wait for silverware.

But star players Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) and Sandro Tonali (Tottenham Hotspur) have left during this transfer window and there is speculation captain Bruno Guimaraes could follow, with Arsenal reportedly close to securing the Brazilian’s signature.

Last year, Newcastle sold top scorer Alexander Isak to Liverpool and finished 12th, missing out on Champions League qualification.

Howe twice led Newcastle to Champions League qualification and won the English League Cup in 2025 to end the club’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.

Who is Matthias Jaissle?

Jaissle is best associated with the Red Bull football system through his strong connection with pioneering Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick.

As a player, Jaissle initially featured under Rangnick at German side Hoffenheim after they were promoted to the Bundesliga in 2007, with Jaissle labelling Rangnick “a decisive figure” in his career.

Jaissle played a total of 60 games for Hoffenheim’s first team between 2007 and 2014 before hanging up the boots, but he remained in Rangnick’s orbit by becoming head coach at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2021.

That was about the same time Rangnick was named interim manager of Manchester United after becoming world renowned for leading the football program at Red Bull Salzburg and Red Bull Leipzig.

Jaissle had tremendous success in Salzburg, winning the Austrian league in consecutive seasons and leading the club to the Champions League knockout phase.

A day before the 2023-24 season was due to start he jumped ship by joining Saudi club Al-Ahli, where his success continued as they finished third in the league and then went on to win two straight Asian Champions League titles.

His time in Saudi Arabia came to an end when was announced as Newcastle United’s new manager in August 2026.