Graham Potter appointed Sweden national team manager
Potter replaces Jon Dahl Tomasson after team’s poor performance
Sweden to play FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia
Graham Potter took his first international football assignment after being hired as the Sweden national team's head coach on a short-term deal starting Monday, October 20. This marks his first job back after spending the last six years working in the English Premier League, most recently as the manager of West Ham United.
Potter replaces Jon Dahl Tomasson, whom the Swedish FA fired last week after the star-studded team lost three consecutive matches in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign.
Swedish FA chairman Simon Astrom commented on the appointment, noting, "With Graham Potter, we gain a strong, experienced leader tested at the absolute highest level."
Potter's Immediate Mandate
The Swedish Football Association confirmed Potter's appointment, stating he would lead the team in next month's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia. The 50-year-old Englishman will also manage the playoffs in March, which Sweden are likely to reach after winning their most recent UEFA Nations League group.
Potter's deal will extend through the FIFA World Cup 2026 if Sweden qualify for the tournament, which the United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host. Potter expressed his readiness for the job, stating he felt "very humbled by the assignment, but also incredibly inspired."
"Sweden has fantastic players who week-on-week deliver in the world's best leagues," Potter added. "My job will be to create the conditions so that we, as a team, deliver at the highest level to take Sweden to the World Cup next summer."
Sweden’s current squad features high-profile players such as Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres – Liverpool and Arsenal's starting strikers, respectively. Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, and wingers Anthony Elanga of Newcastle United and Roony Bardghji from Barcelona, also count among the team's ranks.
Despite this considerable talent, the team currently sit last in its World Cup qualifying group with just one point from four matches, following successive humiliating defeats to Kosovo either side of a loss to Switzerland.
"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 said. "We've clearly got some top players but football isn't about the 11 best, it's the best 11."
Potters Return To Swedish Football
This appointment marks Potter's return to Swedish football. He coached the unheralded Ostersund from 2011 to 2018, guiding them from amateur ranks into Sweden's top league by 2015.
Ostersund also clinched the Swedish Cup title in 2017, which qualified them for the UEFA Europa League, where they advanced to the knockout stage. The team eventually lost to Arsenal, despite winning the second leg 2-1 at Emirates Stadium.
Since then, Potter has worked in Great Britain, first managing Swansea and then Brighton in the English Premier League. He subsequently experienced less successful spells with Chelsea and, most recently, West Ham, where his tenure spanned from January to September this year.
(With AP Inputs)
