Kim Hellberg discussed Middlesbrough's promotion ambitions ahead of a huge clash with Ipswich Town
06:00, 19 Apr 2026
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg.
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg.(Image: James Marsh/Shutterstock)
Kim Hellberg says he remains 100 per cent certain that Middlesbrough will win promotion to the Premier League within the timeframe of his contract - as he moved to play down the impact of missing out on promotion this term.
After signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with Boro back in November, the Swede took Boro on an excellent run that saw overturn a ten-point gap to move above newly-promoted Coventry City in February. However, a run of just two wins in 11 has seen Boro now huge outsiders with four games remaining to win automatic promotion. The Boro boss has admitted his side will have to beat Ipswich Town this afternoon to have any chance of finishing in the top two.
It’s been a dramatic and frustrating drop-off from Boro, who could have quite easily been sat in a similar position to Coventry, had they made better use of their dominance in so many games of late, and finished enough of the many chances they’ve wasted.
As Boro’s chances of winning promotion this season look increasingly likely to depend on the play-offs now, Hellberg moved to play down the negative impact of failure in the promotion race this season.
“I’ve always been confident that this is a group that, over time - and that's the first thing I said - is going to get to the Premier League,” Hellberg said. “I said I was here for three-and-a-half years when I signed and we're going to get to the Premier League in that time. I'm 100 per cent certain.
“This year? To be fair, I was a little bit surprised that we were better than I thought from the beginning when I arrived here. We played in a way that the players have done absolutely brilliantly.
“So I'm very happy that we're still in the running for it this year, but otherwise I'm 100 per cent certain we're going to get there in some way over this period of time.”
For many, that will be frustrating. After such a strong run up to February after Hellberg’s arrival, Boro have ultimately squandered their best opportunity in nine years of making a return to the Premier League.
But Hellberg was keen to offer some perspective too, by reminding everyone how Boro’s chances were viewed at the start of the season, while also pointing to Southampton as the example of how quickly things can change.
Speaking on Friday ahead of Saturday’s games, Hellberg said: “Perspective is a weird thing because it goes on momentum over the season. I think Southampton had seven in a row without a win and then they go back and bounce it to 18 without defeat.
“They're on the same points as us, when before the season they were probably favourites to get promotion. Now they are flying high, and we are not flying high because our drop of form is coming now.
“It's always perspective to things because we're in the same position as they are now, which looked unbelievable before the season in the opposite way, and probably looked unbelievable eight or nine games ago in the other way.
“So it's also perspective to try to find a way to find confidence in a situation we're in. And again going to Ipswich to play a game that is still a battle for automatic promotion, with four games left to play, finding confidence in that, finding players getting back from injury, and having a group that wants to work together and fight together.”
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