When Vitor Matos took charge of Swansea in November 2025, concerns around a potential relegation were on people's lips.
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concerns → take → lips
Yet almost one year on, the Swans sit top of the Championship 10 games into the season.
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Swans → sit → season
In retrospect, the hire appears to have been a masterstroke considering the fact that Matos had only managed 12 senior games before moving to Swansea - those coming in the Portuguese second division.
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those → appear → division
Behind those 12 games, however, lives a coaching journey spanning 23 years across many continents and a variety of roles.
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journey → live → roles
Prior to his spell in charge of Maritimo, the 38-year-old spent five years working under Jurgen Klopp as an elite development coach at Liverpool, before joining Red Bull Salzburg as Pep Lijnders' number two.
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old → spend → number
I called the Portuguese manager to explore his influences, principles and the ever-changing tactical landscape.
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I → call → influences
'Liverpool influenced me a lot'
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Liverpool → influence → me
Building a squad on a foundation of counter-pressing feels apt for Matos when you consider the time he spent working under Klopp.
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he → build → Klopp
"Liverpool influenced me a lot in terms of counter-pressing, pressing, intensity, and what makes you grow as a team," he said.
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he → influence → team
"The most important thing is how much you believe in your idea and this style is how I see football.
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I → believe → football
That's why I wanted this to be the foundation for our team.
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this → want → team
Although the influence is clear, it would be unfair to paint Vitor with a Klopp-shaped brush entirely.
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it → paint → brush
"I started at a really young age wanting to be a coach and was influenced by many different styles," he added.
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he → start → styles
Evidence of these many influences are clear to see in Swansea's game-model this season, with Vitor pulling together ideas from his time at FC Porto, Shandong Taishan and Liverpool.
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Vitor → see → Porto
Matos detailed his list of priorities when he replaced Alan Sheehan at Swansea.
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he → detail → Swansea
"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.
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he → make → other
"For that, we wanted to take steps first on making the team much more aggressive without the ball.
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team → want → ball
"Giving them that boost of confidence by demanding a more aggressive game, creating a good feeling after a high regain or a wonderful tackle – it creates a better mood inside the group."
He also opted to play a back four.
"
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He → give → four
Before I arrived there was also some change between a back four and a back five.
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I → arrive → four
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.
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sticking → think → that
"So, in our 4-3-3, we had a clear idea - to become a pressing and counter-pressing team, brave enough to take that risk.
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we → have → risk
"But then it's about, trying to find out the ways to be more aggressive."
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it → try → ways
In that sentence, Matos subtly revealed a key thread to his managerial approach and one that came up time and time again throughout our conversation.
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that → reveal → conversation
He spoke about his many fixed footballing principles but believes the route to accomplishing those ideas must be shaped by the players at his disposal.
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route → speak → disposal
As a result, he takes a holistic approach to each player, seeking to understand them deeply, as footballers and human beings.
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he → take → footballers
Only then does he know how best they can work within his system.
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they → know → system
"We want to press but where will we set up in terms of starting positions?" he continued.
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he → want → positions
"Who should start the press?
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Who → start → press
Who are the players who buy in more or are more ready for this type of style in a short period of time?
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who → buy → time
"When you start from the players you have in front of you, you start from a position of comfort for them.
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you → start → them
This allows the players to be more confident which helps you to build your idea over time.
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you → allow → time
'When we go, we really go'
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we → go → ?
"When I spent time with the youth of FC Porto, I developed my understanding of positional play," Matos explained.
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Matos → spend → play
"We used a very positional 4-3-3, understanding the spaces, the timings, waiting for the ball to arrive to you at the right time.
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ball → use → time
Players moved the ball until gaps started opening.
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gaps → move → ball
"
This season, we have seen those principles, honed at Porto, become the basis of an impressive Swansea side.
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principles → see → side
"How we solve problems depends on if we play against a man-marking team or a complete zonal team," said Matos.
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Matos → solve → team
"When you play against a complete zonal team, the most important thing is that you understand that you need to move them.
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you → play → them
By moving the opposition, you create spaces, you create a free player."
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you → move → player
Much of the historic success of positional play has been underpinned by that same idea – finding the free player.
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Much → underpin → player
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
