Vasco Matos has paid the price for Estoril’s poor start to the 2026/27 season. The club from the Lisbon coast have sacked the former Santa Clara manager with the team rock bottom of Liga Portugal with just two points from the opening 8 games.
A brief statement on the official Estoril Praia website yesterday reads:
“Estoril Praia announce that negotiations have begun with the coach Vasco Matos to terminate his employment contract.
The club thanks Vasco Matos for the dedication shown throughout the time he represented Estoril Praia.
Thank you, Vasco.”
Matos, 46 years old, succeeded Scottish manager Ian Cathro, who left Estoril Praia to take charge of French club Saint-Étienne in the close season.
It was widely commented at the time that the contrast in styles of the two coaches could be problematic. In general terms, Cathro is a manager who attempts to get his teams playing front-foot attacking football, while Matos prefers to focus on defensive solidity.
A talented squad (8th and 10th-placed finishes in the last two seasons) has clearly found it difficult to adapt.
Vasco Matos had enjoyed three highly impressive seasons in the Azores, but could not replicate his success at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota.
He becomes the third top-flight coach to lose his job this season. Sotiris Silaidopoulos was fired by Rio Ave during the recent international break, and was replaced by Arouca boss Vasco Seabra. João Gião lost his job at Nacional da Madeira after just four rounds of the season, replaced by Alexandre Santos.
Estoril Praia have not yet named the new man in the dugout.
