The MSL club St. Louis City SC hires former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg as coach

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ST. LOUIS (AP) – St. Louis City SC hired former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg as coach on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Mellberg, who played more than 100 games for Sweden’s national team, will replace Bradley Carnell, who was fired by the MLS club in July. John Hackworth had served as interim manager and was also in the running for the full-time job.

Mellberg’s employment is contingent upon the receipt of his visa.

“Olof has an incredible work ethic and reputation for being disciplined and detail-oriented,” said St. Louis SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. “His leadership qualities as a captain, both at 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 that translated here. “

St. Louis City reached the MLS Cup playoffs in its inaugural season last year, but was just 8-13-13 in league play this season.

“It’s a great opportunity here because of the great infrastructure and the direction the organization has taken,” Mellberg said in a statement. “I can’t wait to build on the foundation already set here and the massive fan support that gives this team the energy to succeed.”

Mellberg is best known for his time at Aston Villa, where he made 232 appearances. He also played for Juventus, Olympiakos, Villarreal and Copenhagen along with the Swedish national team.

Mellberg began his coaching career in 2016 with Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna, leading the 80-year-old club to back-to-back promotions to Sweden’s top division. He also managed the Danish club BK Fremad Amager and Swedish Helsingborgs IF, before returning to Brommapojkarna in January 2023, where he had spent the last season.

“During his four years as head coach of Brommapojkarna, he has shown a consistent ability to exceed expectations,” said St. Louis City general manager Diego Gigliani. “His passion for developing young players, strong reputation in the market and previous playing experience at elite level were all further reasons why we were convinced he was right for the role.”

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