Jaissle: Serious Childhood Illness and Injuries Shaped My Character

Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle has opened up about overcoming a severe childhood illness that shaped his character, alongside a devastating series of injuries that forced him to end his playing career prematurely.

"When I was five years old, I had a tumour in my neck and couldn't move it. That was a period where I learned a great deal," British media quoted the German tactician as saying. "I was only five, but I already learned so much about life—how vital good health is, and how grateful you must be for it and for the chance to chase your dream. As a young child, it was uncertain whether I'd ever be able to play football. That was one side of it. Unfortunately, I was also very unlucky with injuries."

The 38-year-old revealed that he missed an entire year as a youth player and later tore his cruciate knee ligaments at the age of 20 while playing for Hoffenheim during their debut Bundesliga campaign, which followed back-to-back promotions from the third tier. He was forced to hang up his boots five years later. Jaissle believes those hardships "build your character in every aspect and give you the belief that you can overcome any obstacle. Every difficult test has a positive side. If you navigate through those challenges, you emerge stronger and far more resilient."

He ventured into coaching thanks to Ralf Rangnick, his former boss at Hoffenheim, starting out in RB Leipzig's youth setup as an intern. Jaissle admitted that "after just two weeks, I felt joy in my life again."

Jaissle took his first senior managerial role at Austrian side FC Liefering before spending two years at Red Bull Salzburg and three seasons with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli. He took the reins at Newcastle following Eddie Howe's resignation in July, with the Magpies currently sitting ninth in the Premier League.