Kim Hellberg Appointed Head Coach of Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Football Club has officially appointed Kim Hellberg as their new head coach, marking his first managerial position outside of Sweden.

Hellberg, 37, previously helmed the Swedish side Hammarby, where he achieved notable success with consecutive runners-up finishes in the Allsvenskan during 2024 and 2025. He succeeds Rob Edwards, who departed for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

Initially, Hellberg was in discussions regarding a potential role with Championship rivals Swansea City but has now committed to Middlesbrough. He will officially assume his responsibilities later this week, although Adi Viveash will continue as interim head coach during the upcoming home match against Championship leaders Coventry City on Tuesday.

Currently, Middlesbrough sits in second place in the Championship, seven points behind Coventry City, having lost only two of their 16 league fixtures this season.

Hellberg’s appointment marks the second managerial change for Boro in just five months, following Edwards’ exit after only 14 matches in charge. Hellberg had a year remaining on his contract with Hammarby when he accepted the role at Middlesbrough.

His coaching career commenced in the Swedish lower divisions with Kuddby IF and IF Sylvia before he joined the staff at top-tier club IFK Norrköping in 2020. He later secured his first head coach position at IFK Värnamo, where two successful seasons led to his transition to Hammarby.

In discussing his move to Middlesbrough, Hellberg expressed enthusiasm for the club’s playing style and atmosphere, stating, “A lot of things make Boro the perfect choice for me. The way they play and want to play, together with the crowd, suits me and how I want to work.”

He will be joined in Teesside by his assistant, David Selini, while Adi Viveash will remain as part of the coaching staff.

Middlesbrough’s director of football, Kieran Scott, has closely monitored Hellberg’s career trajectory, emphasizing that the manager’s reputation is on the rise within European football circles. “Kim is someone I’ve been monitoring for a while,” Scott noted. “He’s well known in European football as an up-and-coming head coach, and he was doing really well at Hammarby.”

As for Hammarby, Ian Burchnall, a former first-team coach at Wolves and manager of Forest Green and Notts County, is reportedly a leading candidate to succeed Hellberg.