Saturday’s 3-0 defeat against Bristol City left the club 20th in the table and only four points above the relegation zone after losing five of their last eight league matches.
Matos watched the game from the stands and has now got his hands on the side as announced by the club on Monday afternoon.
Swansea City CEO Tom Gorringe, spoke on the appointment which he says was a no-brainer.
“We spoke to a range of candidates and Vitor was the clear stand-out with a cohesive plan of how to take our squad forward and improve.
“Vitor has spent over a decade working at elite clubs, and has been a trusted figure for some of the best coaches operating in the modern game.
“He is committed to playing an attacking brand of football, and to developing players technically and tactically, and we are sure supporters are going to enjoy watching his Swansea City team in action.”
The move also sees Club legend Leon Britton has joined the coaching team on a short-term basis, while Joe Allen will also assist with the transition.
The 37-year-old joins from Portuguese second-tier club CS Maritimo and had a brief stint under former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in Merseyside.