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The Jens Wissing era: Al-Ittihad’s new tiger is ready to strike

A fresh turning point in the history of the Tigers.

Al-Ittihad have named 38-year-old German coach Jens Wissing as their new manager, with the Jeddah heavyweights aiming to bounce back after a disappointing defence of the title last season.

He may not yet be a familiar figure to followers of the Saudi Roshn League. Wissing comes to Saudi Arabia after his first role as a first-team head coach, which came with Japanese side Gamba Osaka.

His arrival signals a new path for the Tigers, who are determined to get back to the summit after lifting the Roshn League title the season before last.

The Saudi Pro League’s official website took a closer look at Wissing’s career and the reasons Al-Ittihad’s hierarchy believe he is the right man to replace Sergio Conceicao.

Winning mentality

Every coach is ultimately judged by results, and Wissing arrives already carrying silverware, despite being only six months into his managerial career. He achieved that in Saudi Arabia a few months ago, when his Gamba Osaka team defeated Al-Nassr in the final of the AFC Champions League 2.

While serving as Roger Schmidt’s assistant, Wissing won the Dutch Cup with PSV Eindhoven before going on to claim the Portuguese Primeira Liga title with Benfica. He understands exactly what is expected at a club of Al-Ittihad’s stature. Speaking to the players during their pre-season camp in Spain, he said: “What is our identity? It is the long history, the tradition, the many titles, and a winning mentality. Let us enjoy working together, the idea of football is fun. Of course we want to achieve success, we have to win matches, and we want to win something.”

A new coach for a new era

Al-Ittihad have won two Roshn League titles in the last four seasons, but the club now finds itself at a new crossroads in its distinguished history.

Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Abderrazak Hamdallah and Ahmed Hegazi were central to that success. Each of them was a veteran over 30, and all have now departed the club.

Chief executive Domingos Soares de Oliveira had set out to reduce the average age of the squad, mapping out a different course and direction that required a new coaching profile aligned with that vision.

Soares was already well aware of Wissing. He was Benfica’s chief executive during Wissing’s spell there as an assistant coach, and that existing relationship helped influence the decision to bring him in.

Soares said: “We have known Mr Wissing for a while, and I worked with him in the past. We know he is a young, very talented and ambitious coach, and he has a strong desire to succeed with Al-Ittihad.”

The next generation

Part of Wissing’s job will be to oversee a shift from one generation to the next, something he managed successfully at Gamba Osaka. The clearest example of that was his decision to leave out goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi and forward Takashi Usami.

Both are former Japan internationals and together have made 700 club appearances. In their place came an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old.

Speaking to the Japanese league association, Wissing explained how he manages the balance between youth and experience. “We have wonderful players with great experience, who bring a lot of knowledge and quality to the team, and they are very important for the young players. But I would say there is natural competition in our team. Our experienced players are very open to guiding the young players, leading them and supporting them to give them the space to develop, and we have already made some changes in certain positions, where we play with a young goalkeeper aged 18, and I have very good experience in that.”

Intensity and sharpness

It is visible in his eyes when he talks. Everything Wissing does is marked by intensity and sharpness, and he expects his teams to mirror those qualities. Earlier this year, he told the German magazine Kicker: “The overarching principle is attacking and defending together. This means everything on the pitch must happen at the right moment with great tactical cohesion and the necessary sharpness. Elements such as dynamic positioning, verticality, counter-pressing, and compact, ball-oriented defending play a decisive role.”

It is no surprise, then, that Wissing came through the Red Bull Salzburg system. That background, together with his understanding of Al-Ittihad’s stature, leaves him well placed to win over the club’s passionate supporters.

Speaking during the recent training camp in Spain, Wissing said: “The emblem carries a tiger, so what are the characteristics of the tiger? Very strong, dominant, patient, and sometimes passive. But if it hunts, it launches with all its power without hesitation, without any hesitation. We must take these characteristics and put them on the pitch. Because we all wear this shirt, and we must always be proud of it.”