Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has pushed back against claims that he joined the club purely for a bigger paycheck.
According to Fotboll Skanalen, who highlighted his comments from an interview with Fotbollsmorgon, Hellberg wants to make it clear that money wasn’t the deciding factor in his move.
Hellberg was appointed Middlesbrough boss at the end of November after Rob Edwards left for Wolves. He arrived with a strong reputation thanks to his work with Hammarby in Sweden, where his success had attracted interest from several Championship clubs. Hammarby had tried to keep him as well, offering a new contract on significantly improved terms. Sports director Mikael Hjelmberg even stated that the proposal was “very good by Swedish standards.”
Despite this, reports have suggested Hellberg is earning far more at Middlesbrough than he would have on Hammarby’s improved offer, leading some to assume his move was financially motivated. Hellberg disagrees.
“Sometimes I think it’s a little unfair to suggest I just jumped for the money,” he said.
“Throughout this period, I’ve had several chances to earn ten times more in different countries, but that’s never been what interests me.
“I think most people understand I gave everything to Hammarby. But I’ve also always had a dream of working in England.
“I’m not sure I would have gone anywhere else if an English opportunity hadn’t come up. A chance like this might not come around again, no matter what happens next year.”
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