If fussball followed a kind of evolutionary theory, Matthias Jaissle (Nürtingen, 1988) would occupy the (pen)last link in the chain formed by Rangnick, Löw, Klopp, Tuchel and Flick.
“I had the honor of being coached by Rangnick and Tuchel at youth levels and, as a German, I also look at Nagelsmann, Klopp, Flick… It’s difficult to say which coach has influenced me more, but I would say Rangnick. “He believed in me as a player and supported me a lot when I started my coaching career,” the Al Ahli coach told MARCA.
I had the honor of being coached by Rangnick and Tuchel and, as a German, I also look at Nagelsmann, Klopp, Flick…
Matthias Jaissle
He does, however, reject comparisons: “No copying, but you do try to incorporate elements of coaches who stand out in different sections: Guardiola’s possession football, Klopp’s transitions, Rangnick’s off-the-ball game… From There, I developed my own style: I like to be proactive, find the right structure to be dominant, put the opponent under high pressure and also have the mechanisms to get out quickly towards the rival goal.”
I like to be proactive, find the right structure to be dominant, put the opponent under high pressure…
Matthias Jaissle
He had to hang up his boots at the age of 25.
Rangnick predicted that he would be “international with Germany”, but Jaissle, who shared a team in the under 21 with Özil, Khedira and Neuer, saw his career cut short due to injuries, like Nagelsmann and Tuchel.
At the age of 25, after rising from Third to First with Hoffenheim, he hung up his boots. “He wasn’t the most talented player, but he was disciplined and a hard worker. He put his heart in the field. When I broke my cruciate I was at my best level. Then came many more injuries that kept me from my goals. I dove into a deep well. I got to know the other side of football. It was very hard,” he remembers.
With the injuries I went into a deep hole. I got to know the other side of football. It was very hard
Matthias Jaissle
The youngest in (almost) everything
Suddenly, Rangnick, Austria’s coach and Red Bull’s great ideologist, crossed his path again: “I was young, I decided to study sports business management to have a global vision and the opportunity arose to do an internship at RB Leipzig. The initial plan was to go through all the departments: youth team, management, scouting… I started as an assistant to a good friend, Sebastian Hoeness. [técnico del Stuttgart]and after three weeks, Sebastian told Rangnick: “Matthias is not moving from here.”
Matthias Jaissle, in a match against Sevilla as coach of Salzburg. Ramón Navarro / MARCA
Jaissle burned stages at the speed of light. From Leipzig he moved to Brondby as Alex Zorniger’s assistant: “After a year he told me: ‘You were born to be head coach.’”
He directed Liefering (subsidiary) for five months before, in 2021, making the leap to Salzburg, with which he won two Leagues and a Cup in two seasons. “They trusted me. It was an incredible feeling,” admits Jaissle, who was not only Austria’s youngest coach. He also became the earliest (33 years and 142 days) to guide his team to the Group Stage of the Champions League… since the previous ones.
“It makes me proud, but age, in my opinion, is not that important. I structured my career well. Everything has gone very quickly, but without skipping any steps,” he says.
Age is not so important. Everything went very quickly, but without skipping any steps
Matthias Jaissle
A new world: Saudi Arabia
His explosion suggested that he would end up in the Premier League or in a big league in Germany… Hence his signing, a year ago, for Al Ahli was surprising: “I accepted the challenge of coming to Arabia because I was prepared to take another step after some fantastic years in Salzburg. Managing big stars – he has Toney, Firmino, Kessié, Mahrez and Gabri Veiga on his roster –, discovering a new football, a new culture… All of this contributes to me becoming a better coach and a better person. Obviously, I am honest, the economic aspect also counts.”
He was ready to take another step: coach great stars, discover a new football, a new culture… All of this contributes to making him a better coach and a better person.
Matthias Jaissle
His case is reminiscent, by projection, of the Celtic Gabri Veiga: “Sometimes we comment on it. We are in the same boat and we have the same goals… but with different roles. “He has incredible talent.” Firmino is the opposite example: “We were teammates at Hoffenheim! Bobby is a special player. I can only speak well of him.”
Gabri Veiga and I are in the same boat and we have the same objectives… but with different roles. Sometimes we talk about it
Matthias Jaissle
Al Ahli is your present. He took the newly promoted team and guided them to the Asian Champions League. He refuses, however, to look to the future: “It’s nice to have dreams, but I try to get rid of them because it hurt me a lot to see how the ones I had when I was a player were broken. I limit myself to working and giving my best every day.”
That does not prevent him from following the major leagues from a distance. Also Spain and also, of course, to Flick: “I can only congratulate him for what he is doing. It’s incredible. I enjoy watching Barcelona. “They have quality, they know what they have to do and Hansi gives them freedom.” Word of Matthias Jaissle.
