'We carry a tiger' - Why new Al Ittihad manager Jens Wissing is ready to hunt | OneFootball

A new era has begun at Al Ittihad, with 38-year-old German Jens Wissing taking charge of the Jeddah giants as they look to bounce back after last season’s disappointing title defence.

Perhaps a little unknown to fans of the Roshn Saudi League, Wissing comes to the Kingdom following his debut senior managerial job, with Japan’s Gamba Osaka.

Certainly, his appointment represents a new direction for Al Ittihad, who will be out to mount a challenge to reclaim the RSL title they lifted two seasons ago.

With that in mind, we break down what Wissing should bring to the club, and why the 2024-25 RSL champions felt he was the right man to succeed Sergio Conceicao.

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Winning Mentality

The first responsibility of any coach is to win games and subsequently titles, and Wissing arrives having already captured a continental title only six months into his senior coaching career.

That was achieved a few months back, ironically in Saudi Arabia, when his Gamba Osaka side defeated Al Nassr in the final of the AFC Champions League Two.

However, as an assistant to Roger Schmidt at PSV Eindhoven, Wissing lifted the KNVB Cup, and then Portugal’s Primeira Liga with Benfica.

For sure, he’s under no illusions as to what is expected at a club as huge as Al Ittihad.

“What is our identity? It’s long history, it’s tradition, it’s a lot of titles, it’s winning mentality,” Wissing told the players at their pre-season camp in Spain.

“Let us enjoy working together. Football is joy. Of course, we want to have success, we have to win games, and we want to win something.”

New Coach for a New Era

Al Ittihad have won two RSL titles in the past four seasons, but they are now at a fresh juncture in their storied history.

Their success during the previous period was headlined by names such Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Abderrazak Hamdallah and Ahmed Hegazi; all veteran, experienced players well into their 30s. But they’re all players that have now departed the club.

Spearheaded by CEO Domingos Soares de Oliveira, Al Ittihad have deliberately looked to lower the age profile of the squad, seeking to chart a new path and direction - and that required a new profile of manager to go with it.

Karim Benzema captained Al Ittihad brilliantly to the 2024-25 RSL title

Soares was CEO at Benfica when Wissing was their assistant coach, and that helped inform the decision to appoint the 38-year-old.

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

Next Generation

Part of Wissing’s brief is to transition between eras, something he did successfully at Gamba Osaka, with the best example being his decision to replace goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi and attacker Takashi Usami.

Both were former Japan internationals with a combined 700-plus club appearances. Yet, in their stead, came an 18-year-old and 22-year-old, respectively.

In an interview with the J.League, Wissing spoke about how he handled this balance between experience and youth.

Portugal starlet Roger Fernandes should benefit from Jens Wissing's faith in youth

“We have great players with a lot of experience in our squad, and they bring a lot of knowledge and quality to our squad, and they are very important for the young players,” he said. “But I would say there’s a really natural competition in our team.

“Our experienced players are very open to guide [the younger players], to lead them, but they’re also very open to support them and to give them space to develop and play for our team.

“We have already made some changes in some positions; we are playing with a very young goalkeeper, who is 18 years old. So I have a very good experience with that.”

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Intensity

You can see it in his eyes when he speaks: everything Wissing does he does with intensity, and he wants his teams to reflect that.

“The overarching principle is to attack and defend together,” he said in an interview with Germany’s Kicker earlier this year. “This means that everything on the pitch must happen at the right moment with great tactical cohesion and the necessary intensity.

“Elements such as dynamic positioning, verticality, counter-pressing, and compact, ball-oriented defending play a crucial role.”

It’s no surprise that Wissing came through the Red Bull Salzburg system. Given that, and his recognition of Al Ittihad’s standing, he seems set to be a hit with the RSL club’s vociferous support.

“The badge carries a tiger - [what are] the characteristics of a tiger?” Wissing said during the recent training camp in Spain. “Very powerful. Dominant. Patient, sometimes passive.

“But if he hunts, he goes full power without hesitating. Without hesitating.

“We have to take these characteristics… and put it on the pitch. Because we are all wearing the shirt, and we have to be proud of it - always.”