Former Liverpool coach who Jurgen Klopp called 'incredible' states that he now wants to become a manager
19/02/2025 16:00
Many fans were left worried when Jurgen Klopp departed Anfield, his replacement however has stepped up to the plate.
Arne Slot has guided Liverpool to a hugely successful season so far, with the Reds sat top of the Premier League and a Carabao Cup final also awaiting them in March.
Filling Klopp’s shoes is no easy task for anyone, especially when you take into account the coaching staff that left alongside the German in the summer.
Klopp’s assistant and right-hand man, Pep Lijnders joined RB Salzburg as manager, with elite development coach Vitor Matos also joining him in Austria.
Despite him and Lijnders only lasting a few months at Salzburg, Matos isn’t letting that spell dampen his hopes, having recently outlined his managerial ambitions.
Former Liverpool coach Vitor Matos wants to become first-team manager
The Portuguese coach earned himself an esteemed reputation while at Anfield, with ex-Reds forward and now Atletico Madrid coach Fernando Torres praising Matos’ impact.
Matos first outlined his managerial aspirations back in 2020, five years later however it now seems like he is taking the leap.
In an interview with Portuguese outlet A Bola, the former Reds coach claimed he is ready to become the main man in the dugout.
"I feel prepared and I want to be a head coach," Matos said.
"Above all, I am very motivated and very ambitious for the role of a coach.
"It was a natural process, it is something that I have built over time, through experiences and also by getting to know myself.
"And that has led me to this moment and to be comfortable with the role of a coach."
The Portuguese coach then said: "Now, it is time to make things work, right? And for that to happen, I also think it is important to feel a connection with the club.
"Which club, I don't know, but feeling this connection is very important."
"If you ask me if I'd like to reach the Premier League one day, of course I would."
"It's obvious that it's an ambition, but I also know that I want to take my time to be able to reach that level again," Matos continued.
"I want to take my time and do things calmly and sustainably, because that's more important."
What did Klopp say about Matos?
Having joined the Reds from FC Porto in 2019, Matos would play a key role within the Liverpool academy, introducing the likes of Rhys Williams to the first team, following injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.
Klopp would highlight Matos’ Liverpool impact in a 2020 interview with SkySports.
“We employed Vitor, not because the academy wasn’t working as well as we wished but because we needed a connecting point.
“Pep [Lijnders] was doing that too but first-team coach is a big job; we needed someone in that development coach role who knows both sides and Vitor is doing an incredible job. When we had our first struggle with the centre-halves, he suggested Rhys. It helps to have someone with a proper eye on the academy and someone who knows what we need in a crisis. Yes, we need players but what kind of players?
“He’s working really closely with all the academy; from U16 upwards, we’re really close but we can’t be that close with the U14s or U12s for example. The academy coaches know what we expect them to do but it’s not always just about playing our way,” said Klopp.
