Vitor Matos Sheds Light On His Decision To Leave Liverpool Alongside Jurgen Klopp And Delivers Arne Slot Verdict
Vitor Matos has lifted the lid on why he decided to leave Liverpool together with Jurgen Klopp. The 36-year-old was part of Klopp's backroom staff who enjoyed a successful stint at Anfield.
The Portuguese spent five years at Liverpool, having arrived in England from Porto in 2019. He was often referred to as the ‘link man’ between Liverpool’s academy and first team. His official title at Anfield was elite development coach.
Vitor Matos played an instrumental role in helping youngsters such as Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah last term make the step up to first-team regulars, racking up over 20 appearances for Liverpool as they won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the league.
Speaking to O Jogo as quoted by Sport Witness, he said: “I’m very happy to see Liverpool leading the Premier League and the Champions League. 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.”
“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.”
He continued: “I think this impact was expected.
“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.”
LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli