Vitor Matos has opened up on his decision to leave Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp. The Portuguese left the Reds last summer, with it confirmed back in January that he would be one of a number of backroom staff to exit alongside the German.
The 36-year-old subsequently joined Pep Lijnders in making the move to Red Bull Salzburg, taking over as the Dutchman’s assistant manager. And while it hasn’t been plain sailing for the pair in Austria, Matos is delighted to see Liverpool thriving under new head coach Arne Slot.
I’m very happy to see Liverpool leading the Premier League and the Champions League,” he told O Jogo, as quoted by Sport Witness. “This group of players and many of the people around them deserve this.
“It is not easy to find a coach with the ability to lead Liverpool. If we look at the results, I think it was impossible to have a better start. It’s fantastic to see them winning and the athletes continuing to develop. When we see the games, there is a hunger for titles and that is fantastic.
“In the game idea, Arne identified himself and maintained some things, which made it a lot easier, but, at the same time, differences are already noticed, related to his values and what he believes.”
He continued: “The best feeling we have is that we managed to leave the club with the capacity and sustainability to fight for titles, with a culture of victory and a clear identity, with which the fans identify. This is our biggest trophy.
There is nothing that sustains the process more than winning and that was Jurgen’s biggest concern: making the team competitive and capable of winning against any opponent. Then comes consistency
These were years that marked us all, for titles, for games that go down in football history and, of course, all of this wouldn’t be the same without Anfield.”
Meanwhile, Matos, who served as Elite Development Coach at Anfield, believes that the decision to announce Klopp and his backroom staff’s exit midway through the season has ultimately aided Liverpool to enjoy a more seamless transition under Slot.
“I think this impact was expected,” he said. “The announcement was made with the season underway, with the aim of giving the club time to seek the solution they considered most appropriate, so that there could be as fluid a transition as possible.
It’s obvious that we all experienced this moment differently, but the day-to-day training and game routines remained, and all the concerns were with the team and the next opponent.
“We live this moment little by little and, over time, we don’t even notice the last months or days at the club.”
