Newcastle United’s head coach Matthias Jaissle will face a familiar challenge when his team takes on Leeds United at Elland Road, as he prepares to confront two players he previously managed at RB Salzburg. The German, 38, who took charge of Salzburg’s senior side in 2021, will come up against Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor, both of whom played key roles during his tenure at the Austrian club.
Jaissle, who enjoyed considerable success with Salzburg, securing two league titles and one domestic cup in two seasons, helped develop Aaronson and Okafor into accomplished professionals. The 25-year-old American winger Aaronson and the 26-year-old Swiss forward Okafor were integral to Salzburg’s dominant team that clinched a league and cup double during Jaissle’s first season in charge before moving to Leeds United and AC Milan, respectively.
Reflecting on the upcoming matchup, Jaissle expressed enthusiasm about seeing his former charges compete in one of Europe’s top leagues. “I am looking forward to seeing both of them. I will tell you after the match if I was happy seeing them, but I’m happy now,” he said. Jaissle acknowledged their progress and the role he played during their early development, saying he was pleased to see them perform at a high level and make an impact in competitive leagues.
During their time together, Jaissle’s guidance helped transform Salzburg into strong contenders in European competition, including reaching the Champions League knockout stages alongside domestic success. His admiration for Aaronson and Okafor is evident, though he remained tight-lipped about whether he had heard from them ahead of the match. He did note that many former players and colleagues reached out following his recent appointment at Newcastle United in October, adding, “That’s normal.”
Jaissle departed Salzburg in 2023, coinciding with Okafor’s transfer and a year after Aaronson’s move to Leeds. Since then, the trio have each continued their successes in different countries, with Jaissle leading Saudi club Al-Ahli to consecutive AFC Champions League Elite titles before taking the helm at Newcastle. His arrival at St James’ Park has coincided with a promising start for the club under his leadership, including integrating young talents such as Belgian forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who joined for £51.4 million.
Despite early signs of progress on Tyneside, Jaissle emphasized that player development depends heavily on individual determination. “It is one element of being a manager, along with my staff, to make the players better. But in the end, it is about their mindset, attitude and effort,” he said, downplaying any singular credit for recent improvements.
Newcastle supporters will be watching closely to see if Jaissle can replicate the developmental success he achieved at Salzburg as his team faces Leeds and the former Salzburg stars he once coached.