Graham Potter Takes Charge Of Sweden After Tomasson’s Dismissal

20 Oct 2025, 10:02 by Ernest Victor · Naija News

The Swedish Football Association has appointed former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter as the new head coach of the national team.

Graham Potter’s appointment came following the sacking of Jon Dahl Tomasson after a poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Tomasson was shown the door on October 14 after Sweden collected only one point from their first four qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The disappointing run left the team at the bottom of Group B and goalless in their last three games.

Potter, 50, will now lead the effort to revive Sweden’s qualification hopes, with the next matches against Switzerland and Slovenia coming up in November. The contract will also cover a possible playoff in March.

If Sweden secures a World Cup ticket, it will automatically extend through the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“The goal is to create the optimal conditions to reach the World Cup in the summer of 2026,” the Swedish FA said in a statement.

Reacting to the appointment, Potter said he is aware of the scale of the task ahead but feels motivated by the opportunity. “I am very humbled by this assignment, but also incredibly inspired. Sweden has fantastic players who deliver week after week in the world’s best leagues,” he said.

Despite boasting top attacking talents like Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres, Sweden’s recent performances have been flat, with the team struggling to find the net or rhythm in their play.

Potter’s return to Sweden marks something of a homecoming. He built his reputation there between 2011 and 2018 while managing Östersund FK, a small club he guided from the lower divisions to the top flight and into European competition.

After his success in Sweden, Potter went on to manage Swansea City, Brighton, Chelsea, and, most recently, West Ham, where he was dismissed in September.

Potter, who was once seen as one of English football’s brightest young coaches, will now look to rebuild both his career and Sweden’s fortunes on the road to the 2026 World Cup.