Swansea City has blazed brightly in the Premier League.
Whether it’s Michu, Michael Laudrup, League Cup wins, European nights or simply making the mark, a lot has been packed into seven seasons.
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and then he left.
Eighteen years have now passed since the relegation that brought with it tightening of belts and lowering of expectations. Ambition is replaced by apathy.
But something is flashing in South Wales.
Bringing back Swansea sponsorship from the international spotlight;
And there is a growing sense that the club once famous for “The Swansea Way” are heading in the right direction again.
“You can see the ambition and the ideas there,” says Steve Carroll, editor of fantasy Swansea Oh Swansea. “People are talking positively about us again.”
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From Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric, to Brighton’s transfer model loaned out and coached by Jurgen Klopp, they did just that.
From the disconnect to the direction
Swansea’s major shareholder Brett Cravatt, pictured here with Scott Hochstadt – founder of the US Legends clothing brand who worked with Swansea [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Swansea’s relegation hangover took time to clear.
Accepted by the American businessmen before they dropped out of the Premier League, there was little sign of spending on their way to the top.
When the exciting talent was unearthed whether homegrown or more emphatically in -, they were always sold in balancing books.
While the likes of Joe Rodon, Oli McBurnie, Dan James and more moved on and on, Swansea took a step back for every step.
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“As soon as we could get excited and get into a reasonable position, then we wouldn’t be able to sell the player or place him on the team,” adds Carroll.
“Fans would get fed up and the disconnect would come back, and we’d start again.”
He took his toll on a string of curators, Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin.
I realized it was rude then, when the new American property arrived late in 2024, he promised to review how to run the club.
And while they didn’t say much – showing up in local pubs on matchdays but avoiding interviews – they didn’t need to.
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“To be fair, they delivered,” says Carroll of US tech entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen.
“When we wanted to get updates from the next owners, we felt like we were being gaslighted. We can see the ambition now.”
The match is based in the States – chief executive Tom Gorringe is the decision-maker on the ground – but the owners are not hands-on, obviously with messages and plans.
Plans that included investment, first funded and then green-suited the biggest team from relegation.
It didn’t stop there, as the club moved to Swansea.Com Stadium from local council and advanced on stage to restore the academy club to the top tier of the state, as well as further investment in the club’s women’s team.
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‘Expetional’ Matos who impressed Modric
Vitor Matos worked closely with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before moving on to work as Pep Lijnders assistant at RB Salzburg [Getty Images]
It was a slow recovery.
“There was a time where I wanted to watch Swansea and I wasn’t quite sure what they were, whether it was what I saw on the pitch or the players bringing in,” former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff recently told the 72+ podcast.
Seven million views of Swansea’s goal in beating Watford in September on just one social media platform suggests the recognition of the eye has returned.
This is what head coach Vitor Matos promised when he was sacked for the part 11 months ago, despite boasting just 12 games as front-line boss with the Portuguese second division side.
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Worryingly close to the relegation places in November 2025, Swansea used the information to identify the man they needed – leading to the 38-year-old who had worked at Liverpool under Klopp as an elite development coach.
His interview was said to have washed the board, including Swansea’s Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric on the record, with sources saying he promised to play on the pitch in his presentations.
Of course, a style that fits with Swansea’s past, but given the aggressive work of the ball that runs up the pitch, Swansea have many rivals in the second tier.
And all the iron person connected with fans and players alike; a calm, smiling leadership that – even through the post-match celebrations alone – Klopp has echoes.
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“He had a difficult time there in terms of where Swansea were in the table,” added McAnuff, who called his start to the season “superb”.
“From the minute he went in there he talked about the DNA of the club, and wanting to tap into that, stylistically, getting them to play a little bit more than the Swansea fans would expect.”
It resonated but was also effective, with style not at the expense of substance as shown with a defensive record that is the best in the division, or they came from behind to win at Lincoln City before the international break.
Genuine awareness and acceptance at the club are by no means the perfect article – and the 3-1 defeat in Southampton’s promotion hopes was a reminder of that.
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It is clear that the signs are moving in the right way.
Resuscitation by recruitment
Ghana international Joseph Opoku scored twice with a combination from Zulte Waregem, one of ten new arrivals this summer. [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Matos put the basics in place last season, and then stepped up to add extra touches this summer.
The recruitment of Swansea – once their greatest strength – has been a major problem for many years in the Championship.
They can never compete with the biggest spenders, Swansea based on their previous success in a good deal that could grow with them.
The signs are growing back that is – not a hook.
The club has slowly built up the expertise back up, bringing in Jay Lefevre from Celtic as head of recruitment and Ben Stevens from Crystal Palace as sporting director.
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Then an eye-catching partnership with Jamestown Analysts, a data company owned by Brighton’s capital Tony Bloom, which brought success not only to the Seagulls, but also Hearts in Scotland, Comune in Italy and Saint-Gilloise in the Netherlands.
Swansea, who have agreed a contract with the firm on a rolling basis between the clubs, have one slot to open in either division after their former partners Gippswich were promoted.
The firm’s role is said to be akin to a consultant, adding another layer to Swansea’s existing processes, verifying sponsorship findings and the work of the club’s own data systems.
Winger Joseph Opoku and midfielder Elias Justus are said to be models, first noted by Swansea, before they will have confidence from firms that seem better in their field.
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Both World Cup targets were signed, as was the exciting and experienced Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustaquio from Porto, and Bosman’s deal took Nova Scotia international Stephen Welsh in a window that signaled Swansea’s growing belief in where they are going.
“I see the difference,” Carroll said. “Before we want to look at the bench and know that we will be weaker things that can be changed. Now the subs change the games.”
Big names, big plans, small footprints
Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart and Luka Modric are all minor leaguers in Swansea [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Last year’s league goalscorer Zan Vipotnik was among those substitutes – while former Southampton striker Ross Stewart has already agreed to add support for Adam Idah, while Swansea scorer McAnuff also returns to add goals from wide.
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Vipotnik held on to Vipotnik despite a £10m offer from Hull City, but the sale of midfielder Ethan Galbraith for a similar amount to Stoke City showed that the return did not ignore their financial ambitions.
Ownership funds are nice, but not unlimited, especially when compared to rivals.
Consumption improved, but the process was about being smarter than devolution of banking.
Adding to the nature of the efl’s financial resources, a huge focus on boosting income streams has meant beyond par for a club with limited stadium capacity in a field where disposable income is nearly a quarter below the UK average.
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If Modric’s arrival as a minority partner was about introducing him to the property of football and benefiting from his expertise in return, the other high-profile partnerships were made with business in mind.
Hip hop star Snoop Dogg and fellow US celebrity Marta Stewart’s introductions were less about investing and more about growing the brand and helping open doors for new companies. Swansea is leading the championship this season with other significant uptics.
There is also a partnership with media and entertainment investment giants Clover Capital – originally founded by the Disney family and who have returned Taylor Swift’s rights to their back catalog – who have also provided significant support for the long-term plans.
“I don’t think anyone expects us to be any of the other clubs who are going to be fighting for promotion,” said Carroll, who says the club’s position is a realistic target. “But you can see that we are stronger and we are moving in the right direction, so we can enjoy it.
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“You can feel the situation and the hope is in the back.”
It’s a long way to go, but the signs are – even if they don’t – Swansea have at least found a way.