Significant Kim Hellberg development shared amid Sunderland managerial links | OneFootball

Kim Hellberg is expected to take over as the new Hammarby boss in the next week, ending any talk of him succeeding Tony Mowbray at Sunderland.

Kim Hellberg had been on Sunderland’s radar

The Black Cats hierarchy made the decision to sack Mowbray last Monday, in a call that came as a shock considering they were ninth in the table at the time.

Mike Dodds has taken the job on an interim basis since, and he was in charge as Sunderland beat West Brom 2-1 on Saturday.

However, the search is ongoing for a permanent boss, and it had been suggested that Swedish coach Hellberg was a candidate after the fine work he did with Varnamo.

Under his guidance, the side finished 10th in the Allsvenskan during his first campaign, and they followed that up with a fifth-placed finish in the most recent campaign, which saw the side vastly over perform when you consider their resources.

Therefore, the 35-year-old is seen as a highly-rated coach in Sweden, and it was reported he had held talks with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus over the vacant Sunderland job.

Kim Hellberg set for Hammarby job

But, Hellberg won’t be arriving on Wearside, as Sportbladet has revealed that Hellberg is in line to take over Hammarby.

They are on the lookout for a new head coach after Marti Cifuentes decided to take the Queens Park Rangers job earlier this year, and they had set their sights on Hellberg.

With his contract at Varnamo having expired, the coach is ready for his next challenge, and the update states that he is expected to be announced as the new Hammarby head coach in the next seven days.

Sunderland continue managerial search

Of course, Hellberg is one of many who have been linked, so it’s not like the Sunderland hierarchy had made him their number one target, but they’ve obviously moved on.

It’s now been claimed that Reims boss Will Still has been in discussions with the Championship side, but it remains to be seen whether Sunderland can convince him to make the move. But, if they can, it would be a real coup for the Black Cats, as Still is another highly-rated young coach.

In the meantime, Dodds proved against West Brom that he is capable of getting a response out of the group, and that performance will have reassured the owner that he doesn’t need to rush into this decision.

Sunderland targeting young coach

We know that Sunderland have a clear recruitment strategy, as they target talented, young players to improve the squad, and the links to Still and Hellberg show they want a manager in a similar mould.

Deciding to sack Mowbray was a bold call, but it’s still an exciting time to be a Sunderland fan, and the board are determined to ensure they push on and build on the fine work that the ex-Blackburn chief did in his 15 months at the Stadium of Light.