Middlesbrough have announced Kim Hellberg as their new manager, replacing Rob Edwards, who recently departed for Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 37-year-old arrives from Swedish team Hammarby, where he served as head coach.
This marks Hellberg’s first managerial role outside of Sweden, despite previous discussions with fellow Championship side Swansea City. He will officially assume his duties later this week, with Adi Viveash temporarily leading the team for their upcoming home match against league leaders Coventry City.
Currently, Middlesbrough sit in second place, seven points behind Coventry, having suffered only two defeats in their 16 league games this season. Hellberg is the club’s second managerial appointment in just five months, following Edwards’ short 14-game spell at the Riverside.
During his two seasons at Hammarby, Hellberg guided the Stockholm-based club to consecutive runner-up finishes in the Swedish top division, Allsvenskan. A former lower league player in Sweden, he previously coached Kuddby IF and IF Sylvia before joining IFK Norkopping in 2020. His initial head coach position in the Allsvenskan was with IFK Varnamo, where successful seasons led to his move to Hammarby.
Hellberg expressed his excitement about joining Middlesbrough, citing the team’s playing style, the fans, and the overall environment as reasons for his decision. He will be joined by assistant David Selini, with Adi Viveash remaining as part of the coaching team.
Middlesbrough’s director of football, Kieran Scott, had been closely monitoring Hellberg’s progress at Hammarby and believes the club has secured a promising manager. Scott stated that Hellberg is highly regarded within European football circles as an emerging head coach.
Meanwhile, Ian Burchnall, former first-team coach at Wolves, is reportedly a candidate to succeed Hellberg at Hammarby. Burchnall has prior managerial experience in Scandinavia, having managed Viking in Norway and Ostersunds in Sweden.
