Jaissle 'bit scared' referees will react to his 'emotional' touchline style
Matthias Jaissle said he was "a bit scared" about how referees would respond to his "emotional" touchline manner during his unveiling at St James' Park on 11 August 2026, telling reporters "Just the first time, guys," as he greeted them inside the media suite.
Jaissle, who won back-to-back Asian Champions League titles at Al-Ahli, is the club's new head coach after spells with Al-Ahli and RB Salzburg; his playing career ended at 26 because of a serious knee injury. He cut a measured figure at his first extended news conference since taking charge earlier this month, wearing a black suit and grey shirt, but those who know him say his on-pitch persona can be very different.
Addressing how he will behave on the touchline, Jaissle said: "I will not change my style because that's my personality," and added: "On the touchline, I am emotional, but I need to respect the box [technical area] a bit more. "I'm a bit scared. I hope in the beginning the referees can maybe close their eyes here and there a little. I need to learn that." He also joked: "I had a long touchline in Saudi Arabia, so I think the GPS would be quite high if I had worn it!"
Jaissle and his staff were shown around St James' Park for the first time and he described the experience to reporters: "We were just looking at each other with a big smile, goosebumps," adding "Just really special." He set out the type of football he wants to play, saying: "When we hopefully play in the way they want to see us - intense football, a vertical approach, aggressive, front-footed - there is a great synergy between the fans and the team." Season ticket holder Adam Stoker said the club still needs further additions but believes Jaissle's style will be a "huge positive", and added: "Eddie did look a bit tired and didn't quite look the same manager as when he started." Stoker also said: "We have seen a tiny bit of Jaissle's ideas now and they seem to be very much in keeping with Newcastle in 2022-23, which was a hugely exciting team to watch. "That playing style makes the crowd feel involved because the fans want to watch a high tempo. "Playing front-foot, high-intensity football is something the crowd at Newcastle has always been on board with."
The squad spent a draining training camp in Spain last week that finished with a 2-1 win against Valencia, a match that follows a summer in which Newcastle lost key players Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Jaissle said the departures have left a "vacuum". Goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek said Newcastle want to "show the opponents that they will have a hard time against us", while defender Malick Thiaw described the intensity under Jaissle as "really high".
Jaissle set out the wider requirements for his project, saying: "We are ambitious. "That is the most important thing. "It is why I decided to come here, but this will not happen overnight, especially when you have such a big transition phase now. "You need to have a clear goal and wish of where we want to go to. That starts from the decision-makers, the management and the board. "Then, if you have that synergy with the fans, the players and the staff to go there, I'm pretty sure it will be a successful story. But we need time now."
Jaissle faces his first competitive test when Newcastle host Liverpool on Tyneside in the season opener on 23 August, and the club noted that, like many of their young signings this summer, he has never experienced the Premier League before.
