Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has spoken emotionally about the health battles that shaped his life, revealing he had a tumour in his neck as a five-year-old and was later left in a wheelchair after a severe knee injury. The German, who took charge in August, opened up during a wide-ranging media briefing at the club's Benton training ground.
Jaissle admitted he was initially 'guarded' when first meeting the press, joking that he was the same when he first met his girlfriend. But away from the cameras, his charisma has shone through, with the 36-year-old spending around 50 per cent less time in press conferences than his predecessor Eddie Howe.
Health battles that shaped a career
Jaissle told reporters about the challenges he faced as a youngster, when he was tipped for Germany caps before fate intervened. "I had a tumour in my neck when I was five years old and I couldn't move it from side to side," he said. "I learned a lot about life then – how important it is to be healthy and how grateful you should be to be healthy and to follow your dream."
He also recalled the injury that ended his playing career at Hoffenheim. "When I made my debut for Hoffenheim after only eight months, I ruptured my ACL, my meniscus, the cartilage, everything. I was done. I knew then it could be difficult to carry on playing at the highest level. I was only 20 and was about to be called into the national team for the first time."
Results and rebuilding at Newcastle
Despite the emotional revelations, Jaissle acknowledged the results-driven nature of the Premier League. Newcastle sit on eight points in ninth position, a start he admitted everybody would have "signed up" for. A win at Coventry after the international break would take them past a quarter of the so-called "magic 40" points mark.
Insiders have suggested things had turned "stale" under Howe, and Jaissle's methods are already making a difference. "There were elements in games where we saw a lot of the things we were looking for," he said. "There were also phases in games where we were not happy and satisfied. So there's still a lot of potential that we can improve."
After almost an hour of conversation, Jaissle invited reporters onto the training field to watch him oversee a session, smiling as he put his principles into practice. With autumn arriving at Benton, change is already well underway under the new head coach.
