Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool Football Club underwent significant transformation in the summer of 2024, marking a new era under head coach Arne Slot.
The Dutchman’s arrival at Anfield brought sweeping changes to the backroom staff, with multiple new appointments reshaping the coaching structure.
Slot brought in a fresh team including assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff, head of fitness Ruben Peeters, and goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte, signaling a complete overhaul of the previous regime.
The changes followed the departure of legendary manager Jürgen Klopp at the end of the 2023-24 season, with his entire coaching staff also leaving the club.
Among those departing was Vitor Matos, who had served as Liverpool’s elite development coach since October 2019.
Following a brief spell at Red Bull Salzburg alongside Lijnders, where both were dismissed in December 2024, Matos embarked on his first managerial role
In June 2025, he was appointed head coach of CS Marítimo on a two-year contract, marking a significant step in his coaching career.
The historic Portuguese club, based on the island of Madeira, had fallen on difficult times after finishing 12th in Liga Portugal 2 the previous season.
Under Matos’s guidance, Marítimo has shown promising signs of revival in the 2025-26 campaign.
The club currently sits in third position in the Liga Portugal 2 table with 20 points from 11 matches, maintaining a positive goal difference and putting themselves firmly in contention for promotion.
Speaking to the Athletic, Matos said:
“I want to create a feeling where every supporter is excited about the next game. I want them to be already thinking about the next game when they leave our stadium and be waiting for that moment.”
“One of the biggest parts of the job is managing 25 different characters and personalities but I’m ready for that,” he said. “I don’t see it as a pressure to deliver.”
“It’s an opportunity to build something special and for as long as I’m in this job, I will try to be enjoying it at the same time.”
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