Matthias Jaissle resignation from Al Ahli shaped by Newcastle offer and contract-clause dispute

Matthias Jaissle’s decision to quit as Al Ahli head coach was driven by a breakdown in contract talks as well as an offer from Newcastle United, according to reports in Saudi Arabia.

Local media say the German has submitted his resignation to the Jeddah club so he can take charge of Newcastle next season, where he is expected to succeed former manager Eddie Howe.

However, Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiya reports that Al Ahli’s refusal to accept a key protection clause in Jaissle’s new deal was just as significant as Newcastle’s interest in convincing him to walk away.

Contract stand-off behind the scenes

Jaissle’s current contract with Al Ahli runs until the end of next season, but the club opened negotiations over a long-term extension that would have kept him in post for four additional years, through to 2030.

The 36-year-old is said to have asked for a clause guaranteeing payment of the full value of the contract if he was dismissed at any stage during that period. In return, he was prepared to keep his current salary without any increase.

Al Ahli rejected that proposal and insisted instead on a far smaller severance commitment, limiting any pay-off to the equivalent of six months’ salary.

Because the proposed extension would have taken the agreement to 2030, the total value of the deal was expected to exceed 150 million Saudi riyals, which the club regarded as too great a risk if a full-payout dismissal clause was included.

Talks collapse after Portugal camp

According to the report, both sides tried to find a compromise during a meeting held at the end of Al Ahli’s recent overseas training camp in Portugal.

Those discussions were attended by the club’s sporting director Rui Pedro, but the parties failed to resolve the dispute over the termination clause.

With no agreement in place, Jaissle is said to have decided to resign immediately after returning to Saudi Arabia, opting not to travel on with the squad to Jeddah.

The German coach has been in charge of Al Ahli since 2023 and is leaving after one of the most successful spells in the club’s recent history.

Trophies and departure context

Jaissle guided Al Ahli to back-to-back titles in the AFC Champions League Elite, securing continental success in consecutive seasons during his tenure.

He also ended a lengthy domestic wait by leading the club to the Saudi Super Cup, their first triumph in that competition for nine years.

While reports link him strongly with the Newcastle job, Al-Riyadiya stresses that his departure from Al Ahli cannot be attributed solely to the Premier League side’s interest, pointing instead to the unresolved disagreement over the terms of his new contract as a decisive factor in his decision to step down.