Ahmed Ateef, the former Saudi Arabia international, has dropped a surprise regarding the future of Germany's Matthias Jaissle, the manager of Newcastle United. He predicts a return to Al-Ahli in the coming period, with the German enduring a stuttering start at his new club despite the major achievements he previously delivered with "the Elegant", bringing his name back into the discussion among Jeddah supporters.
Speaking on the programme "Doreyna Ghair", Ateef said: "I think Jaissle is warming up in the English league and he will return to Saudi Arabia soon through the Al-Ahli door."
The irony? The former Saudi star does not actually want the German back. He recognises the desire of a section of Al-Ahli's fans to bring him back, but stresses that the manner of his departure from the club remains a negative point that cannot be ignored.
Al-Ahli's fans believe the team will not return to its former level without a coach who knows the club's details well, Ateef added. Yet he insisted that if he were an official he would not have agreed to Jaissle's return, because of the way he left, pointing out that a coach possessing technical ideas does not necessarily mean he will succeed with any group of players.
Jaissle left Al-Ahli in August 2026, after a spell lasting around three years, during which he led the team in 138 official matches, claiming 92 wins.
Back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles followed in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, and the German coach also won the Saudi Super Cup in 2025, leaving a historic mark before his move to Newcastle.
Read also: A gem in the wrong place: why is Inzaghi doing Ruben Neves an injustice?
England has been a different story. Newcastle have collected 8 points in their first 7 matches, after two wins and two draws against three defeats, conceding 14 goals while scoring 10.
Saturday's 0-1 defeat to Aston Villa cranked up the pressure another notch, with questions continuing over his ability to get the team back on the right track.