Jaissle was born on 5 April 1988 in Nürtingen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany.
A defender in his playing days, Jaissle spent five years in VFB Stuttgart's youth system before joining TSG Hoffenheim in 2007 under Ralf Rangnick's management.
Jaissle carried out a seven-year stint with Hoffenheim and helped the club gain back-to-back promotions, reaching the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history whilst playing with future Newcastle striker Demba Ba.
The former Germany Under-21 international made 23 league outings as Hoffenheim claimed seventh spot in their debut German top-flight campaign in 2008/09 but severe injuries ultimately forced the centre-back to retire at the age of 25.
See Matthias Jaissle's First Game at St. James' Park - buy tickets here.
Jaissle took his first coaching steps as assistant manager of Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF between 2017 and 2019 before taking over as Red Bull Salzburg's Under-18s side.
His first senior managerial role, however, came with FC Liefering, overseeing the Austrian second-tier club for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign at the tender age of 32.
The German coach helped the club equal the club's all-time highest finish after claiming a runners-up spot in the 2. Liga before succeeding Jesse Marsch as Red Bull Salzburg's manager the following summer.
His maiden campaign with Die Roten Bullen proved a successful one, achieving a domestic cup double in 2021/22 after winning the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup with a squad containing the likes of Karim Adeyemi and Benjamin Šeško, now playing at Barcelona and Manchester United respectively. Jaissle also helped the club qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time in the club's history, progressing out of a group involving Sevilla, Lille and Wolfsburg, resulting in a contract extension with the club until 2025. RB Salzburg retained their Austrian Bundesliga title the following season, while Jaissle maintained an unbeaten league run on home soil throughout his two years at the club, registering 64 wins in 93 competitive outings.
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, Jaissle joined newly-promoted Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli on a three-year deal.
Jaissle possessed a squad containing a number of Premier League stars, including Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and former Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin and helped Al-Malaki secure a third-placed finish in Saudi Arabia's top tier, qualifying for the AFC Champions League Elite.
He led Al-Ahli to their first continental title the following season after winning the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite, ending the club's nine-year wait for a piece of major silverware.
Last season, Jaissle added two more trophies to Al-Ahli's trophy cabinet. After winning the Saudi Super Cup in August, defeating Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr via penalties after a 1-1 draw, Al-Ahli defended their AFC Champions League title, becoming the club to retain the trophy since Al-Ittihad in 2005.
After a three-year spell in the Gulf, he recorded 90 victories in 123 competitive games, with a win percentage of 65.22 per cent.
Jaissle joins Newcastle on a four-year deal, becoming the first ever German to be appointed as the club's head coach as well as the first foreign coach since Rafael Benítez in 2019.
Steeped in the Red Bull coaching pathway from a young age, Jaissle is regarded as a classic RB-trained coach, with a football style built around high-intensity, pressing, verticality and quick transitions.
His style of play is front-foot, vertical and attack-minded, with teams looking to press aggressively, win the ball back quickly and attack with speed and purpose.
Newcastle supporters will recognise a lot of this from previous seasons in which a pressing, intensive style helped a side led by Eddie Howe to win the 2025 Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League twice.
Jaissle's managerial tenure with United gets under way on Saturday 8 August when Newcastle face La Liga side Valencia at the iconic Mestalla Stadium (kick-off 8pm BST).
The following weekend sees the German take charge of his first matches at St. James' Park when the Magpies welcome Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Strasbourg to Tyneside as part of the ‘VisitMalta Weekender 2026’.
Following his appointment as the Magpies' head coach, the 38-year-old said: "“It is an incredible honour to become head coach of Newcastle United. This is one of the biggest clubs in European football, with a unique history, identity and supporter base, and I am excited to experience that passion and connection first-hand.
“When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice. The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I have followed the club's journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see.
“I am incredibly excited about the future. I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the direction the club is taking. There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.
"I cannot wait to get started and will attack this opportunity. I give my complete commitment and total energy to bringing further success to Newcastle United."
