- Published
Matthias Jaissle points to his neck.
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Jaissle → publish → neck
"I had a tumour when I was five years old," the Newcastle United head coach says.
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coach → have → tumour
"Here in my neck so I couldn't move it anymore.
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I → move → it
That was a period where I already learned a lot about life, how important it is to be healthy, and how grateful you can be to be healthy and to follow your dream.
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you → learn → dream
"It was not clear that I could play football as a kid anymore."
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I → play → kid
He did not elaborate further, but such perspective would be needed.
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perspective → elaborate → ?
Jaissle, like so many, visualised one day becoming a professional footballer, but he was among the rare few to actually go on to do so.
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he → visualise → few
The former Hoffenheim defender even felt he was on the verge of a senior call up to the German national team at one stage, only to suffer a serious knee injury.
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he → feel → injury
Jaissle refused to give up, and "kept the dream for a lot longer than the doctors did", but the setback ultimately curtailed his career and he retired a few years later in 2014.
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he → refuse → 2014
It left him in a dark place, as he previously detailed in an interview with BBC Sport, but the "wounds" he experienced in life have shaped him.
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he → leave → him
"That makes you the person you are, whatever aspect it is, with the belief you can overcome every obstacle," he says.
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he → make → obstacle
"Every setback also has a positive side.
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setback → have → side
If you overcome these challenges then you become stronger, more resilient.
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you → overcome → challenges
"
'I felt joy back in life'
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I → feel → life
This outlook gave Jaissle a head start in his second career, but he did not necessarily plan on being a coach.
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he → give → career
Not at first.
Ralf Rangnick, his former manager at Hoffenheim, invited him on to a training programme at RB Leipzig, where his mentor was working at the time, to sample life behind the scenes at the club.
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mentor → invite → club
Jaissle was due to be redeployed in a new department every six weeks and started his placement as an assistant youth team coach to ex team-mate Sebastien Hoeness, who now manages Stuttgart.
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who → redeploy → Stuttgart
He was pencilled in to spend time with the club's sporting director and figures from their administrative, commercial and marketing departments.
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He → pencil → departments
But he never ended up doing so.
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he → end → ?
"I didn't move on," Jaissle says.
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Jaissle → move → ?
"After two weeks, wow, I felt joy back in life."
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I → feel → life
It set Jaissle on the path to Newcastle.
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It → set → Newcastle
He climbed the coaching ladder and won trophies at Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg and Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.
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He → climb → Ahli
Players and staff alike were quickly struck by his intensity and work rate.
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Players → strike → intensity
"Since the first meeting, it was clear this was our guy," a senior Newcastle source says.
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source → say → meeting
'I really love the fans and the people here'
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I → love → fans
It was still a baptism of fire for the 38-year-old, who had never previously managed in the Premier League, after predecessor Eddie Howe stepped down.
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Howe → manage → League
Jaissle insists friend Thomas Tuchel "didn't need to warn" him about what was coming in the top flight, but he had just three weeks to prepare for the visit of Liverpool on the opening weekend and the squad was in flux.
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squad → insist → flux
Captain Bruno Guimaraes was about to follow Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali out of the exit door and complete a £75m move to Arsenal at the time.
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Guimaraes → follow → time
Although Newcastle would end up making eight signings, they were all aged 24 and under as the club went from having one of the most experienced sides in the Premier League to the youngest almost overnight.
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club → end → youngest
There have also been a spate of injuries to key players, but Jaissle has only lost one of his opening seven matches in all competitions, a chastening 4-1 defeat at Leeds United.
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Jaissle → lose → United
"I think there were elements in games where we saw a lot of the things we were looking for," he says.
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he → think → things
"There were also phases in games where we were not happy and satisfied, so there's still a lot of potential that we can improve."
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we → be → that
Jaissle accepts it has been "tougher than expected" to "get stuff into the players' heads" given pre-season was "so short and packed with friendly matches we couldn't change", adding "but considering all these things, we're doing good".
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we → accept → things
He remains convinced that his aggressive style of play and so-called vertical football will "work anywhere", even if this team is clearly still a work in progress at such an early stage of his reign.
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team → remain → reign
Newcastle have made the most errors leading to shots (12) in the Premier League this season while, at the other end of the field, Jaissle's clinical side have only averaged little more than three efforts on target per match in the top flight.
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side → make → flight
It feels like there will be ups and downs throughout, given the age of the side, but Jaissle has been struck by the backing of supporters and has quickly settled into life on Tyneside.
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Jaissle → feel → Tyneside
He moved out of a hotel into a new home earlier this week and has ventured into the city to sample a handful of restaurants - but only to celebrate wins.
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He → move → wins
Following the 2-1 victory against Hull City at St James' Park last time out, he even paid for a supporter's birthday meal.
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he → follow → meal
"I really love the fans and the people here," he adds.
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he → love → fans
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