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Swansea City have announced the appointment of former Liverpool assistant Vitor Matos as their new head coach. The 37-year-old arrives from Portuguese second-tier side CS Maritimo, and boasts experience working alongside Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Matos joined Liverpool in 2019 as the club's elite development coach before stepping into a role within the senior team. He left Anfield alongside Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders in 2024.
Lijnders and Matos then linked up again at Salzburg but departed after just a few months and he took over at Maritimo earlier this season, with the club top of the second tier in Portugal.
The Portuguese will be stepping into the shoes of Alan Sheehan with Swansea, having signed a four-year contract. Matos will take the reins for Tuesday night's clash against Derby County, reports Wales Online.
Initially, Swansea had set their sights on Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg to replace Sheehan, but swiftly shifted their focus to Matos when Middlesbrough expressed interest in the Swede.
Matos was spotted in the stands at Ashton Gate over the weekend, watching his new team suffer a defeat to Bristol City. He inherits a squad currently languishing in 20th place in the Championship.
In addition to Matos' appointment, the club has confirmed that club legend Leon Britton will join the coaching staff on a temporary basis.
Ex-Reds midfielder Joe Allen will also lend a hand during the transition period while Matos assembles his backroom team. Darren O'Dea and Richard Stearman have parted ways with the club, according to an official announcement.
"Swansea, for me, have always had a style. Something that distinguished the club from all the others," Matos commented. "Somehow we have got a bit far away from what is the DNA of the club.
"So it will take steps, it will take a bit of time, but I really believe we can take steps in the right direction. For that, we will need everyone, the whole club, all the fans and us all to have the same vision.
"That's what I want. I see the fans are still behind and pushing the team, we will need them and I see players who want to change the momentum and we need to find the right idea and the right vision to do it.
"That's the most important thing. It is clear we need to win games and points, but we need to focus on the process and I really believe if we can play to our best then the more chances we will have to win. That's the direction we need to have."
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Swansea City chief executive Tom Gorringe said: "We spoke to a range of candidates and Vitor was the clear stand-out with a cohesive plan of how to take our squad forward and improve.
"Vitor has spent over a decade working at elite clubs, and has been a trusted figure for some of the best coaches operating in the modern game.
"He is committed to playing an attacking brand of football, and to developing players technically and tactically, and we are sure supporters are going to enjoy watching his Swansea City team in action."
The Swans welcome Derby County to SA1 on Tuesday evening, with kick-off at 7.45pm.
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