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Swansea leave door open for Allen as duo stay on
TL;DR
Joe Allen is stepping down from his coaching role at Swansea City, but Vitor Matos has left the possibility for his return open in the future. Leon Britton and Kristian O'Leary will continue in their coaching positions next season.
Key points
- Joe Allen is stepping down from his coaching role
- Vitor Matos is sad to lose Allen
- Leon Britton and Kristian O'Leary will stay on the coaching staff
- Allen is taking a break from football
- Matos left the door open for Allen's future return
Mentioned in this story
Joe AllenVitor MatosLeon BrittonKristian O'Leary
Swansea City
Vitor Matos has left the door open for Joe Allen to return to his staff in the future as the club legend bids farewell to Swansea City.
Matos says he is sad to lose Allen, who is keen for a break from football, but has revealed that Leon Britton and Kristian O'Leary will remain in his backroom team next season.
Allen, 36, is to step down from the coaching role he has held since Matos took charge last November, after Swansea round off 2025-26 with a home game against Charlton Athletic on Saturday (12:30 BST).
"Joey is a special person for all of us, not only for me but for the club," said Swansea head coach Matos.
"Unfortunately we need to say goodbye to Joey. He's probably not happy that I'm saying that, but I love him.
"Our door is always open for when he wants to return and he knows that I wish him all the best, for him and for his family.
"He's a legend of the club, will always be a legend of the club as a player and, from now on, he's as well a really important coach that spent time in the club."
Allen and Britton, two of the greatest players in Swansea's history, returned to the club on what was initially expected to be a short-term basis to support Matos after his arrival from Portuguese club Maritimo.
Image caption,
Former midfielder Joe Allen ended his second spell as a Swansea player when retired in May 2025
Matos' backroom team eventually followed him to Wales the following month ā after work permit issues were sorted out ā but Swansea then announced that Allen and Britton were to stay on.
While Allen, who only retired as a player 12 months ago, is now moving on, Britton, 43, is stay on as a coach alongside O'Leary, who returned to Swansea's first-team staff for a second spell in 2022.
Matos says Wales great Allen made a "fantastic" contribution during his unplanned spell as a coach.
But he explained that Allen's role was never likely to be for the long term, with the former Liverpool and Stoke City player unsure whether he wants to pursue a career on the touchline.
"He was quite clear that it was not something that he was 100% sure that he wants to do for his future, which is quite fair as well," Matos said.
Q&A
Why is Joe Allen leaving his coaching role at Swansea City?
Joe Allen is leaving to take a break from football after serving as a coach since last November.
Who will remain on Swansea City's coaching staff next season?
Leon Britton and Kristian O'Leary will continue as part of the coaching staff next season.
What did Vitor Matos say about Joe Allen's departure?
Vitor Matos expressed sadness over Allen's departure, calling him a special person for the club and leaving the door open for a potential future return.
