New Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has cited a former Leeds United manager as one of his primary coaching influences.
Boro made a flying start to the 2025/26 season under Rob Edwards, winning five of their first six Championship games to become the division’s early pacesetters.
Frank Lampard’s Coventry City side has now clicked into gear, surpassing the North East outfit, although Middlesbrough appeared capable of competing for automatic promotion alongside Edwards.
That was until he left for Premier League club Wolves, thrusting Boro back into the managerial market. Middlesbrough signed Kim Hellberg, who was expected to take over as manager of Swansea City, for his first stint in English football.
Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg talks out about Marcelo Bielsa’s influence.
The Swede is ready to take command of his first game as Boro manager against Derby County this weekend, and in the build-up to that match, he revealed one of his primary managerial influences.
Marcelo Bielsa, the former manager of Argentina, Athletic Club, and Uruguay, was picked by Hellberg himself.
The 70-year-old is most known in English football for leading Leeds United back to the Premier League by winning the Championship title in 2020, with his touchline theatrics and one-of-a-kind tactical setup catching the division by storm.
This clearly had a significant impact on Hellberg’s perception of the game, as the Swedish executive revealed to TeessideLive.
“Many coaches have been in England. Hellberg cited Bielsa, (Roberto) de Zerbi, and (Pep) Guardiola as sources of inspiration.
“Of course, this is a major step. I grew up in Sweden, and English football was all I watched.
“It’s always been my desire to come here. I worked really hard for 14 years to get to coaching and believe I am prepared.
“There haven’t been many Swedish coaches in England, so, of course, it’s a proud moment.”
Kim Hellberg will attempt to duplicate Marcelo Bielsa’s Championship triumph.
Hellberg has taken over one of the most intriguing roles in the EFL right now, as he has been handed the opportunity to manage a Championship side chasing promotion with a talented group.
With that comes a lot of pressure to perform, and with the second-tier so tightly packed from second to last, a string of defeats may see Boro slide out of the play-off places.
Hellberg will be confident in his ability to avoid this fate and will draw inspiration from Bielsa’s example. The Argentine manager was able to implement his bold ideas on a Leeds United team that had previously failed to compete for promotion, ultimately bringing top-flight football back to Elland Road.
If the Swede can achieve anything near to that degree of success at the Riverside, he will have done an excellent job, demonstrating that his appointment was the right decision. Boro clearly has the potential in their ranks, and they demonstrated under Edwards at the start of the season that they can string together a decent run of victories.
Only time will tell how Hellberg’s tenure as Middlesbrough manager unfolds, but Bielsa-like performances may soon win fans over.
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