Welsh club Swansea City is striving to shed its mediocre label and restore its past glory, with Croatian star Luka Modric playing a key role in this transformation. Modric, who currently plays for AC Milan, acquired a stake in Swansea in April 2025 as an investor and co-owner of the club, providing strong impetus to the team's project.

"This is an incredibly exciting opportunity. Swansea has a distinct club identity, passionate fans, and the ambition to compete at the highest level. As a top player, I believe I can bring my experience to the club. My goal is to actively promote the club's growth and help build a bright future for the team," Modric said.

The glorious memory of "Spanish Swansea" is not far off: between 2011 and 2018, the team played in the Premier League for seven consecutive seasons. With the help of players like Michu and Rangel, Michael Laudrup led the team to win the League Cup in the 2012-13 season.

Today, this Welsh team is once again on the path to resurgence. In the first nine rounds of the Championship, Swansea earned 20 points, topping the league table, two points ahead of second-placed Middlesbrough, and four points ahead of West Ham United and Stoke City. This is also the best start to a season in the club's history since the three-point system was introduced in the Championship.

Another turning point for the team came in late November 2024, when Vitor Matos, Jürgen Klopp's former assistant at Liverpool, took over as manager. When he took charge, the team was in 20th place, just four points above the relegation zone. By the end of that season, he had guided the team to 11th place, 17 points clear of the relegation zone. The club extended Matos' contract through 2030. Matos stated that progress is gradual, and while a solid foundation was laid last season, continued effort is needed to move forward.

The club has not neglected youth development; in a pre-season match, they fielded a starting lineup with 10 academy graduates. Transfer dealings have also been highly effective: the team retained their star striker Žan Vipotnik, invested 26.6 million euros in new signings, and brought in several loan players.

The team continues to embrace its former "Swanselona" philosophy of possession-based, passing football. Matos was named Championship Manager of the Month for August; the team led the league in total passes with 4,845, ranked second in possession with 59.4%, was sixth in goals scored, and fourth in shots taken.

The defense has also been robust, conceding only seven goals—the fewest in the entire Championship—and keeping four clean sheets, the most in the league. Their high defensive line and offside trap tactics have been particularly effective. With Modric's backing and steady improvements in squad strength, Swansea's dream of returning to the top flight has been reignited.

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