Graham Potter Takes Charge of Sweden for World Cup Journey

Stockholm (Sweden), Oct 23 (AP) - Graham Potter has made his return to the Swedish football scene, this time as coach of the national team, with the immediate goal of steering them to World Cup qualification. After a rollercoaster six-year stint in the Premier League, the 50-year-old Englishman is embarking on his first international coaching role in a country that holds significant importance for his career.

Back in 2011, Potter started his noteworthy coaching journey with Ostersund, a modest team he took from the fourth tier of Swedish football all the way to the top division. Now, 14 years later, he takes the helm of a national squad boasting Premier League talents like Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres but struggling after three consecutive losses in the World Cup qualifiers for 2026.

The Swedish Football Association recently dismissed Danish coach Jon Dahl Tomasson and quickly signed Potter on a short-term deal to lead Sweden in their upcoming qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia. Additionally, he will manage Sweden if they reach the World Cup playoffs in March, a prospect boosted by their recent success in the Nations League.

Should Sweden secure a spot in the World Cup, Potter will then guide the team in the tournament which the United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host. In a press briefing hastily arranged to announce his appointment, Potter stated, "For me, it's very simple — there's no talk of building or changing or philosophy or anything like this. It's just to win games to get to the World Cup."

The return marks a full circle moment for Potter, who was instrumental in transforming Ostersund's fortunes from 2011 to 2018. Under his leadership, the team climbed to the top league by 2015, winning the Swedish Cup in 2017. This victory earned them a spot in the Europa League, where they reached the knockout stages and famously won the second leg against Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium.

Potter's innovative and team-centric coaching strategies, which included cultural activities like stand-up comedy and rapping exhibitions to foster mental resilience, won him a reputation as a forward-thinking coach. After his achievements in Sweden, Potter made his way back to Britain, where he coached Swansea and Brighton in the Premier League. Despite being the first manager appointed by Chelsea’s new American owners, his tenure was short-lived, ending in April 2023. His most recent role was at West Ham, where he coached from January to September this year.

Simon Åström, president of the Swedish FA, expressed confidence in Potter's capabilities, stating, "With Graham Potter, we are getting a strong and experienced leader who has been tested at the absolute highest level."

Potter himself conveyed a deep sense of gratitude and excitement, remarking, "When you're a kid, you dream of the World Cup. The opportunity to help a country that's so close to my heart, that's played an incredibly important role in my career and life … to have this opportunity to help and get to the World Cup is incredibly exciting."

As it stands, Sweden's squad, featuring prominent players like Isak and Gyökeres — who spearhead Liverpool and Arsenal's attacks respectively — along with Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall and Newcastle’s Anthony Elanga, finds itself at the bottom of its qualifying group, with just one point from four matches following disappointing losses to Kosovo and Switzerland.

It's now up to Potter to weave together the individual talents into a cohesive unit. "From my experience of Swedish football, my respect of Swedish football and what I learned from Swedish football, the collective is the most important thing," Potter emphasized. "We've clearly got some top players but football isn't about the 11 best, it's the best 11."

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)