On Thursday, Aftonbladet reported Sunderland interviewed IF Elfsborg manager Jimmy Thelin at the start of this week. It was also stated the 45-year-old had met some of the officials of the English club.
This claim is further backed up Göteborgs-Posten, and their title states the Swede is ‘up for the coaching assignment at Sunderland’.
Earlier this month, Sunderland parted ways with Tony Mowbray and are yet to appoint his successor. Stade de Reims manager Will Still and Thelin’s compatriot, Kim Hellberg, were initially identified as the two candidates.
On Thursday, Hammarby IF appointed Hellberg as their new manager while the Still has insisted he wants to continue with the Ligue 1 side, and appears to be spinning plates.
Having missed out on these two candidates, the Black Cats have now shifted their focus to Thelin. In fact, the report says they have ‘started the hunt’ to bring him to the Stadium of Light.
The Championship side aren’t the only club showing interest in the Elfsborg manager. GP, relayed by Fotbolltransfers, claim he’s also in contention to be the next Sweden coach. It’s further explained that Thelin met with the Swedish football association on Wednesday.
Andrea Möllerberg, the Swedish FA’s general secretary, said there are several candidates in contention for the national team job.
“Right now, we have nothing more to say than that we continue to check our long list against the requirements profile,” she told GP.
Elfsborg director Stefan Andreasson has also addressed the rumours linking Thelin with a move away from the club.
“We have no further comments other than that Jimmy is a very good coach, and that we are proud to have [him] at Elfsborg,” he told GP.
