Graham Potter unveiled as Sweden’s new head coach

Graham Potter has been unveiled as Sweden head coach after West Ham United sacking last month following a disappoonting campaign with the Premier League club.

The English manager has been given a short-term five-year contract with the European side to qualify the team in November’s World Cup campaign.

The 50-year-old would rather have his contract extended should he reach the playoffs or the tournament itself.

The former Chelsea and Brighton boss has revealed that he was “humbled” by Sweden opting to sign him.

Sweden are desperate to rescue their World Cup hopes, and the English coach has signed an initial five-month contract, taking charge for November’s final qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia.

Potter’s contract will automatically extend if the team reaches the playoffs, covering the March fixtures and, barring unforeseen circumstances, the World Cup next summer in North America.

Potter replaces Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was dismissed following a dismall campaign that left Sweden bottom of Group B with just one point from four matches.

A narrow 1-0 loss to Kosovo earlier this month marked the breaking point, concluding Tomasson’s brief and tumultuous stint as the national team’s first foreign head coach.

Sweden’s only hope rests on their Nations League group campaign, which could still earn them a playoff spot despite their poor qualifying performance.

The appointment signals an unexpected return to management for Potter, who was dismissed from West Ham just last month following a disappointing start to the Premier League season.

Speaking to the press following his unveiling, the former Brighton and Chelsea boss expressed his excitement for his new role, saying, the Sweden job represents a chance to rebuild his reputation in a country where he once thrived.

“I am very humbled by the assignment, but also incredibly inspired,” said Potter after being confirmed as Sweden’s new manager.

“Sweden has fantastic players who deliver in the world’s best leagues during the weeks. 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.”

Potter’s appointment takes him away from club football in England, where he can bost of near-perfect reign with Brighton, even though he didn’t win any trophy at the Ammex Stadium.

Rather, this newa dventure brings him back to the country where it all began. From 2011 to 2018, he transformed Ostersund, guiding the Swedish club from the fourth division to the Allsvenskan with three promotions in four years, capped by a domestic cup victory in 2017.

Potter’s Ostersund earned a Europa League spot and famously defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates in 2018.

For now, his focus will be sharply centered on two significant matches that will shape both his managerial resurgence and Sweden’s diminishing World Cup aspirations.