October 13
Is a comeback on the horizon?
Swansea City is striving to shed its image as a modest team and regain its former luster—a transformation largely driven by Croatian star Luka Modrić.
According to Spanish sources, the former Real Madrid player—currently playing for AC Milan—gave the project a major boost by joining the club as an investor and co-owner in April 2025. He stated: "This is a truly exciting opportunity. Swansea possesses a strong identity, fantastic fans, and the ambition to compete at the highest levels. As an elite player, I believe I can bring my experience to the club. My goal is to contribute positively to the club's growth and help build a promising future."
The "Spanish era" at Swansea remains fresh in the memory; the team spent seven consecutive seasons in the Premier League between 2011 and 2018 and won the League Cup in the 2012–2013 season under manager Michael Laudrup, featuring players such as Michu, Rangel, Chico Flores, and Pablo Hernández.
Swansea City currently appears to be on the right track to reclaiming its glory days, topping the Championship table after securing 20 points from the first nine rounds. They lead Middlesbrough by two points, West Ham and Stoke City by four, and a group comprising Wolverhampton, QPR, Birmingham City, Millwall, West Bromwich Albion, and Bristol City by six points. This marks the team's best league start since the introduction of the three-points-per-win system.
The team’s journey marked another turning point when Vítor Matos took charge less than a year ago—specifically, in late November 2025.
The manager, who previously served as an assistant to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, inherited a team sitting in 20th place—just four points above the relegation zone—and guided them to an 11th-place finish, 17 points clear of the drop zone.
This progress was achieved gradually, without resorting to radical overhauls. Following the extension of his contract through 2030, Matos emphasized the strong bond he observed upon his arrival between Swansea City, its fans, and the surrounding community, adding: "We laid a solid foundation last season, but now we must look ahead and continue working hard and evolving."
The club also prioritized its youth setup; during the pre-season, they fielded a starting lineup featuring ten academy graduates, while a strategic recruitment policy began to bear fruit. Swansea successfully retained prolific striker Žan Vipotnik and invested €26.6 million to sign Joseph Opoku, Moussa Yu, Elijah Just, Stephen Eustáquio, and Stephen Welsh, alongside securing Jeremy Monja, Jenson Selt, and Tiago Parente on loan.
This success reflects the team's commitment to the "Swanselona" philosophy, originally established by Roberto Martínez, Brendan Rodgers, and Michael Laudrup. The team led by Vitor Matos—who was named the English Championship’s Manager of the Month for August—can boast of making the most passes (4,845) and holding the second-highest possession rate (59.4%).
Although they rank sixth in terms of goals scored (15), they sit fourth for total shots taken (48).
Swansea’s strength is not limited to the attack; the team also displays clear defensive solidity. They have conceded the fewest goals—letting in just seven—and lead the league in clean sheets, having kept four.
The team's reliance on a high defensive line has proven effective; the only side to surpass them in springing the offside trap is Bolton, whose opponents were caught offside 46 times, compared to 37 times against Swansea.
Thus, Swansea City is reviving its dreams of returning to prominence, driven by technical progress and impressive results, all under the guidance of a project backed by Luka Modrić.
