Swansea City should attempt to copy QPR's Marti Cifuentes appointment in hunt for new boss | OneFootball

Young Swedish coach Kim Hellberg should be near the top of Swansea's managerial wishlist

With Swansea City on the hunt for a new manager or head coach, they should consider attempting to bring Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg to South Wales in a somewhat ambitious swoop.

The decision to part company with previous boss Luke Williams finally arrived earlier this week, with the Swans on a run of just one win in their last nine league games. Alan Sheehan will be taking caretaker charge of the team for the foreseeable future until the hierarchy find Williams' successor.

The South Wales outfit have been linked with several names already, with the likes of Steve Cooper and Des Buckingham tipped to step into the dugout at the Swansea.com Stadium by various parties.

Despite the links with several managers from elsewhere in the UK, the Swans could also turn their attention to Scandinavia in an attempt to replicate QPR’s appointment of Marti Cifuentes last season.

The Spaniard left Hammarby to make the move to London, and Swansea should be considering his successor, Hellberg, who has done an impressive job so far.

Hammarby's Kim Hellberg has a strong reputation at a young age

When Cifuentes swapped Sweden for West London back in October 2023, it provided Hellberg with the opportunity he had been waiting for.

Having led IFK Varnamo to a surprising 10th-placed finish in the Allsvenskan in their first ever top-flight season, Hellberg was linked with the Sunderland job. However, he ultimately ended up at Hammarby, with the Black Cats opting for Michael Beale instead.

Last season, Hellberg displayed the kind of promise that naturally attracts the attention of clubs across the continent. He led Hammarby to a second-placed finish, their highest finish in the Swedish pyramid since the 2003 season.

If Hellberg was to move to South Wales and take charge of the Swans, it would be a very similar appointment to the one made by QPR when they chose Cifuentes.

Given the success that he has already enjoyed at Loftus Road, that can only be seen as a good thing and, with Cifuentes’ highest league finish being bettered by his successor, there would be plenty of reason for Swans fans to be optimistic about what Hellberg could potentially achieve.

Given the level of attraction that English football has, especially now with the ever-increasing quality of the top two divisions, it would surely be hard for the 37-year-old to turn down a move to the Championship.

It would also likely be convenient timing for all parties. The Swedish league season doesn’t get underway until the end of March, meaning now could be a fairly easy time for Hellberg to step away. It would also allow Hammarby time to get their replacement in before their campaign gets going.

Swansea City's new boss faces an immediate challenge

Although Swansea have struggled badly over the last few seasons, everything is in place at the club for a new man to lift them back to the big time in the near future.

However, their recent issues have been so prevalent, that any new manager is faced with an instant challenge on his hands.

Their poor run of form has seen the Swans drop as low as 17th in the Championship table, and with Plymouth Argyle beginning to show signs of life, Swansea have been left anxiously glancing over their shoulder.

Although the gap between them and the drop is still a relatively healthy eight points, with games against Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland all to come, there is a strong possibility that Swansea could be dragged right into the thick of the relegation battle.

As a result, whoever steps into the managerial role will instantly be faced with a significant amount of pressure. If there isn’t a pretty swift improvement, there could be some very nervy days ahead for the Swans as we near the season’s close.

Swansea have won a major trophy and played in Europe since the last time they were in League One. The new boss will certainly want to avoid taking them down to the third tier for the first time in 18 years.