Newcastle’s players traveled to Spain on Friday for a preseason training camp with uncertainty surrounding the club’s coaching position less than a month before the Premier League season begins.
Eddie Howe was expected to leave Newcastle and be replaced by Matthias Jaissle, according to multiple media reports in Britain. The club had not confirmed a coaching change as of Friday.
Reports indicated that sporting director Ross Wilson would take responsibility for coaching duties on an interim basis. The trip to Spain therefore began without a public announcement clarifying whether Howe would remain in charge.
Newcastle’s camp runs through Aug. 8, when the squad is scheduled to face Valencia in a friendly at Mestalla Stadium. The match will conclude the club’s stay in Spain as preparations continue for the new league season.
Howe’s Newcastle record
Howe had managed Newcastle for nearly five years, overseeing a period in which the Saudi-backed club ended its long wait for silverware. He guided the team to Champions League qualification twice during his tenure.
Newcastle also won the English League Cup in 2025 under Howe, securing the club’s first major domestic trophy in 70 years.
The squad has undergone significant changes since then. Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have left during the current transfer window, while captain Bruno Guimaraes has also been linked with a possible departure.
Last year, Newcastle sold top scorer Alexander Isak before finishing 12th in the Premier League. That result left the club outside the Champions League qualification places.
Jaissle’s success with Al-Ahli
Jaissle, a 38-year-old German coach, has led Al-Ahli to back-to-back Asian Champions League Elite titles. He took charge of the Saudi club in 2023 after winning consecutive Austrian league championships with Salzburg.
His work at Al-Ahli has included coaching former Premier League players Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. Jaissle signed a two-year contract extension with the club last September.
Jaissle was with Al-Ahli at its training camp in Portugal this week while reports in Britain connected him with the Newcastle position. Neither Newcastle nor Al-Ahli responded to a request for comment.