Next Sunderland manager: Latest Kim Hellberg and transfer reports as Cats search for Tony Mowbray replacement
Next Sunderland manager: The latest news and gossip as the Black Cats search for a new head coach.
Sunderland have reportedly interviewed Swedish boss Kim Hellberg for their vacant head coach's position after sacking Tony Mowbray.
The Black Cats parted company with Mowbray on Monday, with an interim coaching team, led by Mike Dodds, set to take charge of Saturday's match against West Brom.
Nice assistant Julien Sable remains the favourite to be appointed at the Stadium of Light, while reports in Sweden initially claimed Hellberg, who guided IFK Varnamo to a fifth-place finish in the Allsvenskan last season, was being considered by the Black Cats.
The Times have since claimed Sunderland have interviewed Hellberg for the vacancy on Wearside. The report also says the club remain interested in Argentine winger Benjamin Rollheiser, who was a transfer target over the summer.
Swedish clubs IFK Norrkoping and Hammarby were also said to be interested in Hellberg, with the 35-year-old's contract set to expire at IFK Varnamo. Before becoming head coach at IFK Varnamo, Hellberg was assistant coach at IFK Norrkoping, where he worked with midfielder Jonathan Levi.
“I hope that IFK does everything they can to try to get hold of him,“ Levi, who now plays for Hungarian side Puskas Akademia, told Swedish newspaper Norrkopings Tidningar. ”He would have been absolutely perfect for Norrköping. Then I understand if he takes Sunderland instead. But the decision is Kim’s, he himself knows what is best for him,”
On Hellberg’s qualities, Levi added: “Kim is the coach who has taught me the most at senior level. When you’re young, of course you learn technical stuff, but that’s something else entirely.
“When it comes to after my elite career started, there is no one who has developed me more than Kim has done. He is incredibly good when it comes to how to position yourself, how to drive the ball, which shoulder to drive the ball towards in relation to the defenders, how to move in the box and how to get a four against three situation to be a three-on-two situation.”