How Swansea City's Manager Built a Championship Leader on Klopp's Principles

When Vitor Matos took charge of Swansea City in November 2025, concerns about a potential relegation were palpable. Less than a year later, the team sits atop the Championship standings, 10 games into the season. This turnaround appears a masterstroke, especially considering Matos's limited prior senior management experience—just 12 games in the Portuguese second division.

Matos's coaching journey spans 23 years across multiple continents and roles. Before his tenure at Maritimo, the 38-year-old spent five years as an elite development coach at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp, followed by a stint as Pepijn Lijnders' assistant at Red Bull Salzburg. These experiences have significantly shaped his tactical philosophy.

Tactical Influences and Foundations

Building a squad on a foundation of counter-pressing is a clear influence from Matos's time at Liverpool. "Liverpool influenced me a lot in terms of counter-pressing, pressing, intensity, and what makes you grow as a team," he stated. "The most important thing is how much you believe in your idea and this style is how I see football. That's why I wanted this to be the foundation for our team." While the influence of Klopp is evident, Matos emphasizes his broader coaching background, drawing from his early aspirations and diverse styles encountered at FC Porto, Shandong Taishan, and Liverpool.

Rebuilding Confidence and Tactical Consistency

Upon arriving at Swansea, Matos prioritized restoring the team's confidence and fostering a stronger bond among players. "The most important thing was to make the team feel confident again, to make the players fall in love with playing with each other," he explained. This was to be achieved by making the team more aggressive without the ball, creating positive reinforcement through high regains and strong tackles to improve the group's morale.

Matos also opted for consistency in formation, settling on a back four. "Before I arrived, there was also some change between a back four and a back five. I thought the squad was built for a back four at that time and to give consistency to the players, sticking with that was another priority," he said. In their 4-3-3 system, the objective was clear: to become a pressing and counter-pressing team, willing to take risks.

Adapting to Tactical Challenges

Matos adopts a holistic approach to management, tailoring his tactics to the specific challenges posed by opponents. "How we solve problems depends on if we play against a man-marking team or a complete zonal team," he noted. Against zonal defenses, the aim is to create space by moving opponents, thereby finding a free player. However, the rise of man-to-man pressure requires different solutions.

Drawing from his experience in China, Matos has developed strategies to overcome man-marking. "In China, I understood that to arrive at a more positional game, you could have different steps beforehand," he explained. "There is a benefit to having more players close to each other, rather than spreading them over space." This approach, which involves creating overloads around the ball, helps disorganize both zonal and man-marking systems, providing Swansea with additional solutions.

Leadership and Player Development

Beyond tactics, Matos believes in valuing each individual and allowing them to express themselves. "In the end, what I try to do is to value everyone in the right way. I try to make the best of everyone and try to allow everyone to be themselves," he said. His time with Klopp was instrumental in shaping his leadership style, particularly in how he cares for the club and its players.

Recognizing the diverse backgrounds of his players—coming from Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, or the UK—Matos emphasizes sensitivity and understanding. "Maybe I had a good house to live in and maybe one of them didn't, so he might be more emotional than me. Trying to understand them, trying to have sensitivity to that, is important," he reflected. Ultimately, he unites them with a singular focus: winning the next game.