Vienna, Jul 28 (EFE).- The Austrian league champion, Red Bull Salzburg, has fired its coach, the German Matthias Jaissle, who could be close to Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia, where he could lead stars like Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez, say Austrian football sources.
The coach’s assistants, Florens Koch and Alexander Hauser, will take their places on the bench at the start of the Austrian championship this Saturday.
Jaissle, 35, avoided showing allegiance to the club at a press conference on Thursday, prompting the club to release him on the grounds that he is not involved in the project.
“We believe that a manager who is so intensely invested in a potential club move with just two days to go before the start of an important season should not be at the start of the league,” said Stephan Reiter, Salzburg’s general manager.
“We want to start the new season with all the energy and conviction. For that we need all the concentration of everyone,” he added.
Jaissle took over the reins of Salzburg after being promoted as coach of the subsidiary in June 2021 after the departure of American Jesse Marsch.
The German coach imposed greater defensive discipline on Salzburg, known for always having a very young squad and an attacking style that often leaves spaces behind.
Salzburg’s style lost some of its offensive brilliance but the solidity at the back allowed them to have good results in the Champions League, where they reached the round of 16 in the 2021/22 season.
In 92 official games in which Jaissle led the team, Salzburg averaged 2.28 points.
The Austrian press reports that Austrian Gerhard Struber, who was fired by the New York Red Bulls in May, could be Jaissle’s successor.
If he is signed by the Saudi club, Jaissle will train former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino, with whom he previously met as a player at German side Hoffenheim.
Champions League winners such as Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) will also play for newly promoted Al Ahli.
Since the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Saudi Al Nassr, other renowned players have followed the path of the Portuguese star.EFE
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