Aston Villa legend and previous Swedish National Team captain brings five-plus years of managerial experience from Scandinavia
Aston Villa legend and previous Swedish National Team captain Olof Mellberg has been named St. Louis CITY SC’s second-ever head coach, pending receipt of his P-1 visa. In addition to being a highly respected leader – on both the pitch and the touchline -- Mellberg brings five-plus years of Scandinavian head coach experience, primarily from Sweden where he demonstrated an ability to deliver results above expectations.
“I am excited to join St. Louis as the head coach,” said Mellberg. “It is a great opportunity here because of the amazing infrastructure and the direction that the organization has put in place. I can’t wait to build upon the foundation already set here and the massive fan support that gives this team the energy to be successful.”
Mellberg, 47, began his managerial career in 2016 at IF Brommapojkarna, a club in the outskirts of Stockholm. Founded over 80 years ago, Brommapojkarna has a strong reputation for youth development, as it boasts the largest academy in Europe with nearly 250 teams and 3,000 players.
Mellberg took charge of the team in Ettan, Sweden’s Third Division, and successfully led Brommapojkarna to back-to-back promotions in 2016 and 2017, winning the title in each division each year, to bring the club back to Allsvenskan, Sweden’s Top Division. Over the course of those two seasons, Mellberg’s side averaged 2.2 points per match with a 44-9-14 (W-L-D) record, 140 goals scored and 58 goals against.
Mellberg then took some time to complete his Coaching License, which included acting as Head Coach of Danish Superligaen (1st division) club BK Fremad Amager for eight matches. He returned to Sweden to coach Helsingborgs IF for a season-and-a-half and rejoined Brommapojkarna in January 2023. The team has competed in Sweden’s Top Division during both of those years, with a 10th place finish this year. The 10th place finish is the club’s highest table position since it began competing at the top division and it’s the first time that the club will be spending three consecutive years in the Top Division.
“After careful consideration, we’re thrilled to welcome Olof as our new Head Coach and are confident he’ll be a great fit for St. Louis CITY SC,” said President and GM Diego Gigliani. “Across his four years as Head Coach of Brommapojkarna, he’s shown a consistent ability to outperform expectations and get results. Furthermore, his passion for developing young players, strong reputation in the market and prior playing experience at the elite level of the sport were all additional reasons we were convinced he was right for the role.”
“We also want to extend our gratitude to John Hackworth. John’s passion, dedication, and leadership were critical as we navigated this past year, and he undoubtedly helped us improve. We’re grateful for his contributions to the club and are excited to have him return to his important role as the club’s Technical Director” continued Gigliani.
“Olof has an incredible work ethic and reputation for being disciplined and detail-oriented” Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel said. “His leadership qualities as a captain, both at the highest club level and with his national team, will be key to managing our group. Olof’s ability to develop young talent was seen at his Swedish club and we can’t wait to see it translate here in St. Louis.”
Mellberg, who played as a center back, was described as being "big, strong and exceptional in the air" as a player, while having a successful career at the club and national team level. Featuring at notable clubs Aston Villa, Juventus, Olympiacos and Villarreal, he was most prominently known for his playing career at Villa. Mellberg recorded 232 matches with eight goals at Aston Villa.
For his national team, Mellberg had a 12-year run with Sweden that eclipsed over 100 caps and eight goals as a defender. He featured in four UEFA European Championships (2000, ’04, ’08 & ’12) and two FIFA World Cups (2002 & ’06).
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