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𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 🗣️ “If he loses this game, the manager might well be sacked.” 🇸🇦 In late 2024, @FourFourTwo sat in the bowels of Al Ahli's training ground in Jeddah. Matthias Jaissle was under immense pressure, with his side sitting 8th in the Saudi Pro League. ✍️ A league expert told us that evening, as we waited for Matthias Jaissle to arrive for his latest pre-match press conference, that the manager was under big pressure. 🌪️ He did lose that game against Al Ittihad, a tetchy match interrupted by a sandstorm that blew dust from the nearby desert into the stadium. 😮 He avoided the sack, but was reportedly on his way out two months later after a loss at Al Kholood, with Max Allegri said to be his long-term replacement. He survived. 🇩🇪 Jaissle was a central defender during a playing career that saw him help Hoffenheim to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2008, when he'd just turned 20. 🤕 He'd been expected to be alongside Mesut Ozil, Mats Hummels and Manuel Neuer as part of the Germany under-21 squad that thrashed England in the final of the Euros in 2009, but damaged his ACL shortly before the tournament and would never be the same again. ⏳ Fast forward to today, and the German coach has completed an extraordinary rise from the treatment table to the St James' Park dugout. 🇦🇹 Salzburg success: Handed the reins at 33, Jaissle took Red Bull Salzburg to a domestic double and their only Champions League knockout stage appearance in history. 🇸🇦 Al Ahli turnaround: After surviving the sack and fan protests, he led the Saudi side to back-to-back Asian Champions League titles—with Ivan Toney scoring 72 goals in two seasons under him. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Newcastle bound: When the Toon needed a replacement for Eddie Howe, they sifted through 178 names and turned to the man who brought historic glory to a Saudi project. 👇 Read our full in-depth story on Matthias Jaissle's remarkable journey below 📚 fourfourtwo.visitlink.me/e2B…