Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi rivals Al Ahli set to lose Matthias Jaissle after back-to-back AFC Champions League titles

Cristiano Ronaldo could soon see one of his toughest domestic rivals lose the manager behind its recent continental dominance, with Al Ahli boss Matthias Jaissle closing in on a move to Newcastle United.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Jaissle is “the top candidate and in advanced talks to become Newcastle’s new head coach,” with the Italian journalist adding that “he’s the number one candidate to replace Eddie Howe“.

The move comes after Howe informed Newcastle of his desire to step away from the game for a break following five years in charge. Newcastle and Al Ahli share the same ownership structure, both being majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has made the transition between the two clubs notably smooth from an administrative standpoint.

Jaissle’s departure would mark the end of a hugely successful spell in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old German, once tipped as the “new Julian Nagelsmann,” led Al Ahli to back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles, becoming the only manager in history to win the competition in consecutive seasons.

Ronaldo facing Jaissle’s Al Ahli

For Ronaldo and Al Nassr, Jaissle’s Al Ahli represented one of the club’s most competitive rivals in the Saudi Pro League, where, since Jaissle’s arrival in the summer of 2023, the sides have met seven times.

Al Nassr has won four of those meetings, drawn one, and lost one in normal time, with an additional penalty-shootout defeat in the 2025 Saudi Super Cup final after a 2-2 draw. Across those seven encounters, Ronaldo managed to score five goals, with his most recent coming in the 2-0 win on April 29, 2026.

Arne Slot emerges as a candidate for Al Ahli

With Jaissle’s departure looking increasingly likely, Al Ahli have reportedly identified Arne Slot as a primary target to take over. The Dutch coach has been out of work since leaving Liverpool in May, a spell of just over two years at Anfield that included a Premier League title in 2025.

Complicating matters, Slot is simultaneously being linked with the vacant Netherlands national team job, according to Fabrizio Romano. Slot emerged as the leading candidate to replace Ronald Koeman after the Dutch federation began searching for a successor following the Oranje’s disappointing Round of 32 exit to Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.