Eddie Howe has resigned as Newcastle United manager, ending a tenure in which he took the club from 19th in the Premier League to their first major domestic trophy in 70 years and two seasons in the Champions League.
The 48-year-old informed sporting director Ross Wilson on July 13, the eve of pre-season training, that he felt the time was right to take a break and that the squad would benefit from a fresh voice and fresh energy.
From 'all in' to standing down
The decision followed months of personal uncertainty. During a family holiday in Greece in the final week of May, Howe resolved to commit fully to the season ahead. He had been given assurances by Newcastle's Saudi-led owners of their backing in late April, and after a 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth that month his private reaction had been defiant: he wanted the job and intended to stay.
But a 2-0 loss at Fulham on the final day of the season shook that resolve, and he flew to Greece still undecided. He eventually left the holiday feeling optimistic, focused on recruitment and a summer rebuild.
That optimism was tested quickly. On June 24, while watching Bruno Guimaraes play for Brazil against Scotland at the Miami Stadium in the World Cup, Newcastle were days removed from losing their top transfer target, Spain winger Victor Munoz, to Liverpool. Club staff had been in Dallas to complete a medical when Liverpool hijacked the deal at the last moment. Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi subsequently chose Aston Villa over Newcastle.
Departures pile up
The transfer setbacks arrived alongside a wave of high-profile exits. Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona for £70 million. Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham for an initial £92.5 million. Joelinton told the club of his wish to move to Saudi Arabia in the weeks after the season ended, though that move had not materialised. Guimaraes, Howe's captain and the team's driving force, is said to be more likely than not to join Arsenal if they make a formal offer above the £75 million figure mooted by intermediaries.
Incoming transfers were four players described as high potential, three aged 20 and one aged 18, but with no guarantee of immediate impact.
According to the report, transfers are not the stated reason for Howe's decision, and he leaves on good terms with Wilson, chief executive David Hopkinson and others at the club. There was no single incident and no fallout.
The internal coup that changed everything
The deeper explanation, the report argues, traces back nearly two years to the removal of minority owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, described as the glue holding the club together and the figures who most consistently backed Howe. Their ouster was led by non-football senior staff who argued the couple cut across their responsibilities.
Weeks after Staveley and Ghodoussi's exit, Paul Mitchell arrived as sporting director. On his first day Mitchell told players and staff he was elite and they should go on a journey with him, an approach that left them feeling abandoned. He subsequently told some players they were not wanted, and those players initially believed the instruction had come from Howe before learning it had not. The resulting turmoil contributed to Alexander Isak and others seeking to leave, a situation Howe managed to contain.
The removal of Staveley and Ghodoussi, the report states, marked the beginning of the unravelling of what it calls the Saudi illusion: the idea that Newcastle was a well-run superclub on an upward trajectory. Off-field realities, including no new training ground, no stadium upgrade, and commercial deals still lagging behind the club's footballing profile, had long since contradicted that image.
What comes next
Newcastle asked Howe to remain until a replacement was found, and he agreed. The players were not informed of his decision. Matthias Jaissle, current manager of Al Ahli, where he won the Asian Champions League twice, and previously of Red Bull Salzburg, has agreed to take charge. The 38-year-old's contract is with lawyers and he is expected to join the squad in La Manga within days. Kieran McKenna was also discussed as a candidate but is taking a career break.
Howe had also been dealing with the lingering effects of pneumonia that hospitalised him in the weeks following Newcastle's Carabao Cup win in 2025, though the report notes he had considered himself ready for the new season when he left Greece in early June.
