'Honoured' - Newcastle United arrival confirmed as Matthias Jaissle shake-up continues
Newcastle United have further bolstered Matthias Jaissle’s backroom team.
Newcastle United have appointed Yann Le Meur as assistant performance director to James Bunce.
Le Meur’s arrival is the latest in a raft of backroom changes since Matthias Jaissle replaced Eddie Howe as head coach at the start of August.
Coaches Jason Tindall, Graeme Jones, Simon Weatherstone, Stephen Perches and head of performance Dan Hodges left with Howe before head of goalkeeper Adam Bartlett recently confirmed that he had also departed.
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Jaissle brought with him Alexander Hauser, Engin Yanova and Florens Koch as his assistant coaches, a goalkeeping coach in Alexander Bade and analysis coaches Maximilian Fischer and Steffen Konrad.
The 38-year-old German also works closely with performance director Bunce, who first joined Newcastle two years ago. Now Bunce has moved to strengthen his department by bringing in Le Meur, who he previously worked with at French side Monaco.
Newcastle United appoint James Bunce assistant
Le Meur acted as Monaco’s Head of Athletic Development for just under two years before being promoted to head of performance following Bunce’s departure in November 2023.
“Honoured and enthusiastic to share that I joined Newcastle United Football Club in August as Assistant Performance Director.” Le Meur announced on LinkedIn.
“A few weeks in, three things stand out:
“People. A remarkable depth of expertise across every discipline and, above all, colleagues who collaborate and work in a healthy environment where everyone can bring their own touch. I know how rare it is to work in such conditions, and that it never happens by chance. The opportunity to work in this setting, and alongside James Bunce, with whom I so much enjoyed working in the past, is what convinced me to take the step.
“The Premier League. I had glimpsed this level of intensity on a few occasions in the Champions League, but seeing it repeated every single week is truly impressive. No need to convince the players of the importance of training hard and optimising everything that can be optimised. If you are not ready, physically and mentally, you simply cannot exist at this level.
“St James’ Park. An atmosphere that sends chills down your spine and gives you goosebumps every single time. Sold out every match, with fans pushing the team through every moment of the game, right until the final whistle. This city lives for football, and matchdays are one big celebration.
“Now, time to get to work. Howay the Lads.”