Jaissle learned a lot about life after tumour aged five

What the report says

Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has spoken about how childhood illness and later injury shaped his outlook, in comments carried by BBC Sport Football. Jaissle said he had a tumour at the age of five that left him unable to move his neck for a period, and described the experience as one that taught him to value health and resilience.

The BBC report says Jaissle went on to pursue a professional playing career in Germany, including at Hoffenheim, before a serious knee injury at around 20 curtailed his progress. He retired in 2014 and later moved into coaching, initially taking part in a development programme at RB Leipzig after being invited by former manager Ralf Rangnick. That pathway eventually led him to trophy-winning spells with Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli, and then to Newcastle.

The article places his remarks in the context of his first months in charge on Tyneside. Newcastle are in the early stages of a squad rebuild and have dealt with injuries and a short pre-season, making the transition more demanding than expected. Even so, the club has won several of his opening matches and Jaissle says he has settled quickly, praising the support he has received from fans and the city.

More broadly, the piece highlights how personal setbacks influenced Jaissle’s coaching identity and his belief that players can improve through adversity.