Al-Ahli’s Jaissle exit under scrutiny after reported approaches to Saudi rivals

New reports have shed light on the circumstances surrounding Matthias Jaissle’s decision to leave Al-Ahli Saudi FC, with the German coach alleged to have made himself available to both Al Hilal and Al Nassr before agreeing to move towards Newcastle United.

Jaissle chose to resign from his position with one year still remaining on his contract. Newcastle United are expected to pay Al-Ahli compensation of about €11m as part of the move.

The latest details were reported on Friday evening, when claims emerged about the coach’s actions during the period leading up to his departure. According to Al Arabiya FM, Jaissle had offered himself to Al Hilal and Al Nassr in recent days, indicating that he was open to taking charge of either club in the coming period.

The report also stated that Jaissle had previously held talks with a delegation from AC Milan about leaving Al-Ahli. Those discussions took place before the move towards Newcastle United developed.

Al-Ahli had attempted to persuade the 37-year-old to remain in his role, with the club said to have shown considerable flexibility during negotiations. The Saudi side reportedly explored every possible way of satisfying Jaissle and keeping him in charge.

However, the coach was said to have responded with demands the club regarded as impossible to accept. The disagreement was not limited to ordinary negotiations over the terms of a new agreement.

According to the report, Jaissle wanted an “extraordinary” clause inserted into a new contract that would have prevented Al-Ahli from dismissing him under any circumstances, regardless of the team’s results.

If the club did decide to terminate his contract, the proposed condition would have required Al-Ahli to pay a substantial penalty. The sum was estimated at 170m Saudi riyals.

Those demands were presented as a significant factor in the breakdown of efforts to secure Jaissle’s continued commitment to Al-Ahli. Despite the club’s willingness to remain flexible, an agreement over the conditions for his future could not be reached.

Jaissle is therefore set to bring his time at Al-Ahli to an early end, with Newcastle United prepared to compensate the Saudi club for his departure. The reported approaches to Al Hilal and Al Nassr, together with the earlier talks involving AC Milan, have added further detail to the process that preceded his expected move to England.

The reports portray a departure that involved more than a straightforward agreement between Jaissle and Newcastle United. They suggest the German coach had explored several possible destinations while Al-Ahli tried to retain him, before the club accepted that his demands made a continuation of the relationship unworkable.