St. Louis City SC set to appoint ex-Sweden international and Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg as head coach

St. Louis City SC is set to appoint Olof Mellberg as head coach, GOAL can confirm. The Swedish coach will sign a multi-year contract with the MLS club. Mellberg has been in charge of IF Brommapojkarna in his native Sweden since 2023, having previously managed Helsingborgs and Fremad Amagerand as well.

Mellberg had previously been a candidate to coach Sweden's national team before the federation turned to Jon Dahl Tomasson.

As a player, Mellberg has the seventh-most caps in Sweden's history and served as his country's captain. He also featured at two World Cups and four Euros while establishing himself as a cult hero during his time at Villa. ESPNfirst reported the appointment of Mellberg.

Mellberg will serve as the second full-time head coach in club history, following Bradley Carnell, who led the team through the first season-and-a-half of its existence. After finishing atop the West and making the playoffs in the club's debut season, St. Louis slumped all the way to a 12th-place finish this season, with Carnell paying the price with a July exit.

John Hackworth served as interim coach for the final months of the season, as the club finished 10 points away from a playoff spot.

The 47-year-old coach has won two lower-league trophies as a manager while lifting five as a player across his career. Additionally, he was named to the Euro All-Star Team for his performances in defense at the 2004 tournament.

The club will now look ahead to its third season in MLS, with the coaching change likely to be one of several shakeups this offseason.

The overhaul began in the summer with the acquisitions of Marcel Hartel and Henry Keslser, who joined stars like Eduard Lowen and Joao Klauss in the squad