adminOxford United Fans Alert: Swansea City Racing to Finalize Matos’ Backroom Team Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Swansea City hopeful of sealing backroom trio in bid to kickstart Vitor Matos era
The club are still working on deals to bring three prospective members of Matos’ backroom team on board
Vitor Matos is still waiting for his backroom staff to be confirmed at Swansea City ahead of next weekend’s crunch clash with Oxford United.
Matos is keen to secure a deal for Diogo Medeiros, his assistant at former club Maritimo, along with analyst Toze Mendes and coach Goncalo Ricca, but hasn’t yet been able to bring them through the door.
The Swans coach has already confirmed the trio are waiting on their respective work permits to be confirmed by the UK government, with the process understood to have been complicated by post-Brexit regulations.
Nevertheless, Swansea remain hopeful the moves will soon receive the green light, and there’s nothing to suggest any of them are in any sort of jeopardy at this stage.
That said, it’s still not yet clear when a breakthrough may come, and the situation is likely to be a source of growing anxiety for Swans fans.
Matos, it’s understood, is largely relaxed on the situation, and is believed to be looking forward to what looks set to be a full week of training with the squad.
“It’s related to that [work permits] of course,” he said when asked about his backroom team last week.
“It’s clear which kind of profiles I want. It’s clear which kind of staff I want with me.
“It takes a bit of time to do all the regulations and to make everything clean. It’s the legal part of the club who is taking care of that.”
City would clearly, in an ideal world, like Matos’ team in before the visit of Oxford next weekend, in a game that could potentially prove pivotal in their efforts to pull away from the relegation zone.
Matos has, in the meantime, called on Swans legends Joe Allen and Leon Britton, but there’s not yet been any decision over whether they will take their place in the dugout once more, with the club seemingly hoping for some movement this week.
Prospective assistant manager Medeiros served under Matos as an assistant earlier this season, having previously held similar roles in the youth set-ups at Santa Clara and FC Porto.
Mendes is a similarly trusted colleague for Matos, having previously enjoyed coaching spells in China, Saudi Arabia and his native Portugal.
Ricca, the nephew of former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, has worked as an analyst and a coach.
Supporters will be desperate for an update soon, with defeat at the Hawthorns extending their losing streak to five games
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