Vitor Matos | New contract a reflection of the belief we all feel
Vitor Matos' says his new contract with Swansea City is a reflection of a collective belief in the future at the club, and he is excited about what is to come as the 2026-27 season approaches.
The Portuguese has put pen to paper on a deal through to 2030, having been appointed as head coach in November 2025.
Matos led the Swans to a greatly-improved second half of the campaign, winning 46 per cent of their Championship fixtures under his guidance and enjoying one of the best home records in the division.
But the Swans boss has his sights firmly set on the future.
"I’m really delighted, of course," he said.
"It shows how much the ownership believes in the pathway we're building together, and it also reflects how much I believe in the project.
"We share a lot of common values and a clear vision, and that makes me very happy, as does the support from the fans.
"I think that has been one of the most important parts, and will be one of the most important parts moving forward. Whatever we achieve, we will achieve it together.
"From the first day, we felt at home here. We love the connection we have between players, staff, ownership and the fans, and the belief in what we can achieve together in the future."
Matos has seen four new players added to his squad, with Stephen Welsh, Moussa Yeo, Elijah Just and Joseph Opoku joining.
And following a productive week-long training camp in Austria which included three games against a high calibre of opposition, Matos has been pleased with preparations for the new campaign.
"It's been important for working on our principles, integrating the new players and building the group again," he added.
"We want to create togetherness, a strong sense of belonging, a proper identity and prepare the team for the season. We've also made progress in the quality of our football.
"It's been especially pleasing to involve so many academy players. Giving them experience with the first team was massive. Against Bochum, if I'm not mistaken, we finished the game with 10 academy players on the pitch. That's quite nice to see that pathway growing as well.
"Overall, pre-season has been really good with some positive things. The players are enjoying the work, the group is developing well and we're moving in the right direction.
"Out new signings give us versatility, which was something we wanted. Having players who can perform different roles depending on the game is very important because of the number of matches we play and the different challenges each opponent presents.
"Some teams play with a back five, others with a back four. Some teams man mark, others can be completely zonal. Versatile players give us more solutions to allow us to beat the opposition.
"The new signings have settled in well. They all have different personalities but the group has welcomed them brilliantly. We have a very healthy group regarding that and the players treat every new arrival the way they would have wanted to be treated themselves.
"The training camp in Austria also helped a lot, and now we're getting ready for the first games."
Swansea will round off pre-season by hosting Spanish side CD Leganes at the Swansea.com Stadium before taking on Birmingham City as the first round of the Carabao Cup opens the competitive campaign.
A trip to Stoke City then begins the business of the Championship, with additional play-off places available this term, and Matos is clear on the level of consistency that will be required.
"The most important thing is staying focused on the daily process and the work we do every day. If you lose sight of that, you stop improving," he said.
"The Championship is incredibly demanding. In one month you can be close to the top of the table, and the next you can be fighting near the bottom. That's why emotional stability is so important.
"We need to focus on improving, on the next training session and the next game. We want to compete against every opponent and continue building the winning culture we started creating last season. If we do that consistently, the table will take care of itself.
"Of course, we're ambitious about the future, but we're equally focused on the present. There are a lot of good teams in this league, but on any given day, anyone can beat anyone. We want to be that team that can beat anyone in the division."