Middlesbrough Football Club head coach Kim Hellberg has spoken of the privilege of leading the club as it marks 150 years since its foundation. The Swedish manager, who arrived at the Riverside Stadium from Hammarby last November, will oversee the milestone celebration match against Wolves on Saturday 15 November at 15:00 BST in front of a sell-out crowd.
Hellberg said he understood the deep cultural and social significance of football on Teesside from his first day in the role. "You could feel from the first day that football was something special here," he told BBC Radio Tees. "It has just grown stronger every day I've been here. I can't go anywhere without people saying to me 'Up the Boro'!"
The coach described the connection between the club and the community as a source of daily motivation. "It feels like everyone is a Boro fan whatever they do. It's a privilege to be the football coach at this club. It's important to remind yourself and that gives you even more energy every day to get up to do everything you can to make them happy."
Legacy Game and Anniversary Plans
Last Sunday, Middlesbrough staged a legacy game that also sold out, featuring dozens of former club heroes returning from around the world. The match was headlined by former players Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Hellberg's goal is to return Middlesbrough to the Premier League to recapture the glories of those eras. The club currently sits third in the Championship after eight games of the season, having recovered from the setbacks of the previous campaign, which included the Spygate controversy and play-off failure.
Team Unity and Season Progress
Hellberg credited the squad and everyone at the club for raising their performance following last season's disappointments. "From last season, everyone has raised their game, everyone together," he said. "It's lovely to be part of and makes you proud of the football club, the supporters, everyone who works with the club."
He highlighted the sell-out crowds and supporter atmosphere as evidence of the collective effort. "When you see the legacy game selling out, now this game selling out and how loud we've been this season, it's absolutely brilliant."
