Kim Hellberg appointed as Middlesbrough head coach | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have moved swiftly to fill their managerial vacancy, appointing highly rated Swede Kim Hellberg as their new head coach, according to reports from BBC Sport. The 37-year-old arrives from Hammarby, where he led the Stockholm club to back-to-back runners-up finishes in the Allsvenskan and built a reputation as one of Scandinavia’s most progressive young coaches.

Hellberg replaces Rob Edwards, who departed earlier this month for Premier League strugglers Wolves after just 14 matches in charge. His exit threatened to disrupt Boro’s promising Championship campaign, but the club, sitting second in the table and seven points behind leaders Coventry, have acted with intent.

This will be Hellberg’s first role outside Sweden, though he had been in talks with Swansea City earlier in November. He will formally begin work later this week, with Adi Viveash continuing as interim head coach for Tuesday’s home meeting with Coventry.

“A lot of things make Boro the perfect choice for me,” Hellberg said. “The way they play and want to play, together with the crowd, suits me and how I want to work.”

Hellberg’s coaching path has been rapid. After early roles with Kuddby IF and IF Sylvia, he joined IFK Norrköping’s staff in 2020 before impressing as head coach at IFK Värnamo. His subsequent move to Hammarby accelerated his rise, drawing interest from clubs across Europe.

Boro’s director of football Kieran Scott said Hellberg had long been on the club’s radar. “He’s well known in European football as an up-and-coming head coach catching people’s eye,” Scott said. “We met several candidates, but Kim was high on my list.”

Hellberg will bring assistant David Selini with him, while Viveash remains on the coaching staff. Hammarby are now considering former Wolves coach Ian Burchnall as a potential replacement.

GFN | Finn Entwistle