Kim Hellberg interview: Transforming Middlesbrough, belief in his methods & his passion for English football
Kim Hellberg tells Sky Sports about transforming Middlesbrough mid-season to take them top of the Championship. Watch Coventry City vs Middlesbrough live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm on Monday night; kick-off 8pm.
Thursday 12 February 2026 14:27, UK
The impact Kim Hellberg has had has been quite remarkable at Middlesbrough.
On a remarkable run of 10 wins from 14 games since he took charge, Boro are top of the Championship as they prepare to head to Coventry on Monday night.
"It has been fast-moving," Hellberg - who left Hammarby in Sweden for Boro in late November - tells Sky Sports.
"There have been a lot of games, a lot of new impressions and it has been a good time. I came into a very good group of players and a club with a lot of good people around it.
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"I get a lot of help from the sporting director and my two assistant coaches who came with me. Together we are trying to keep an environment where development is always the focus.
"The players have helped massively with how they have performed and how they work on the pitch. Together we have created a team that performs in a good way and plays the football we want to play. It is not flawless and there are things to improve, but the environment is about always trying to get better."
It is the improvements he have made which have perhaps been the most impressive thing. Under Rob Edwards at the start of the season they were performing well, defending well, and looked solid.
Hellberg has transformed this side into a relentless, high-energy attacking unit. They are a fascinating and hugely entertaining watch.
"What I am most proud of is how we have changed the playing style in the middle of the season," the 37-year-old says. "From the previous coach to me, almost every number you look at is very different. It is not about right or wrong, just a different way of playing.
"We were still in a good position when I arrived, but now we are doing things in a different way. We try to be an attacking, offensive team. We want to take the game into our own hands, believe in ourselves and believe in our feet rather than the opponent.
"We have gone from being mid-table in possession to being the team with the most ball, from creating fewer chances to creating the most chances in open play and scoring the most goals. Possession alone does not win games, but it is connected to how we believe we can be most successful."
Coming to England was always the goal, but not necessarily the plan at the moment it happened.
Around the same time Hellberg was being courted by Swansea City. But Boro, with the position they were in, was simply too good to turn down.
"I grew up in Sweden watching English football and have always had a passion for it," he says. "The culture around football in this country is special.
"I loved my time at Hammarby and was not actively looking to leave, but this opportunity felt right. I had very good meetings with the owner and the leadership at the club and felt this was a place where something good could be built.
"Looking at the players, the stadium and the history of Middlesbrough, I felt it was the right challenge. I have worked my way up from grassroots coaching since my early twenties and this felt like the right moment to test myself abroad."
One of the more refreshing aspects of Hellberg is his willingness to be enthusiastic about the position Middlesbrough find themselves in.
Often managers and head coaches will insist the table to be meaningless, or that they aren't looking at it. The Swede takes a different approach.
"I am not afraid of talking about ambition or the table," he says. "If you believe in what you are doing, it can actually take pressure away.
"I am comfortable talking about tactics in the right way because football is always changing and you need to adapt anyway. That openness can give players even more confidence in what we are trying to do.
"I try to lead by example. If you want energy, you have to show it yourself. If you want people to be good to each other, you have to be that person.
"Not everyone will agree with decisions and not everyone can play, but it is important that people feel you are trying to help them develop and that you are acting with good intentions. If you achieve that, you have succeeded in many ways."
Since winning at Sheffield United last Monday night, Middlesbrough are now favourites for promotion. But Hellberg knows, with 15 games to go, there are still ups and downs to come and work to do.
"At this stage you know more clearly who you are competing against," he says. "There are several strong teams around us and there is still a lot of football to play.
"Things will move up and down in the table. The key is to stay calm, keep working and keep improving. The daily environment is the most important thing."
