Graham Potter has declared his interest in becoming Sweden manager after the national team sacked Jon Dahl Tomasson following Monday’s dismal 1-0 loss against Kosovo.
Sweden, whose World Cup hopes now hang in the balance, sit bottom of their four-team group after the shock defeat, and are winless from four qualifying matches so far.
Tomasson was reportedly faced with heavy criticism from inside his own dressing room after Sweden won just nine of his 18 matches in charge.
According to local outlet Radiosporten, Newcastle United’s Anthony Elanga, left out of both his country’s qualifiers this week, expressed his anger in the tunnel post-match and cried: ‘The damn system must go.’
Now, after sacking the Dane, Sweden are on the hunt for a new manager and Potter — who spent seven fruitful years at Swedish outfit Ostersund between 2011 and 2018 — has thrown his name into the mix by declaring his interest in the ‘fantastic’ opportunity.
Potter made a name for himself at Brighton before struggling during spells at Chelsea and most recently West Ham United, but believes he still has ‘a lot to offer’ at the elite level.
‘I’m actually in Sweden right now, in my house in Sweden. I’m between jobs and just left the Premier League. I’m open to anything, really, where I feel I can help. The job as manager of the Swedish national team is fantastic,’ Potter told Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen.
‘I’m only 50 years old and I still have a lot to offer. It’s not about me finding a job at a specific level, but about finding something where I feel I can help and where I can make a difference. I also want to feel that we (those involved) are on the same page. Those are my criteria.’
West Ham parted ways with Potter on September 27 after a disappointing start to the season, with the London club losing four of their opening five Premier League games with the Englishman at the helm.
Potter, who also oversaw West Ham’s 3-2 defeat by Wolves in the Carabao Cup, was replaced by former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Despite his last three jobs coming in the Premier League, where managerial salaries are at their most lucrative, Potter has urged that he will not be forced to turn Sweden down for financial reasons.
Hinting he would be willing to take a significant pay cut, Potter said: ‘I’ve been lucky enough to have the career I’ve had. It’s meant that I’m in a very good position financially. It’s reached the level where I don’t have to consider finances as a reason to take a job or not.’
Potter reportedly turned down an approach from Sweden in November 2023, following the dismissal of former head coach Janne Andersson.
The manager was on the national team’s shortlist of candidates before he ruled himself out of the running, keen to return to club management at the time.
Confirming Tomasson’s dismissal on Tuesday, SvFF chairman Simon Astrom said in a statement: ‘The decision taken by the Swedish Football Association is based on the fact that the men’s national team has not delivered the results we hoped for.
‘There is still a chance for a playoff in March and our responsibility is to ensure that we have the best possible conditions to be able to reach a World Cup final.
‘In this regard, we believe that new leadership is required.’
While the Scandinavian nation are not among the biggest hitters on the continent, they still boast an enviable array of Premier League stars and a frontline consisting of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres worth close to £200m.
Sweden have a solitary point from their first four clashes in qualifying and have found the net on only two occasions while leaking a concerning seven at the back.
In the statement announcing Tomasson’s dismissal, head of the Swedish federation Kim Kallstrom added: ‘We have a group of players that we believe in very much and want to create new opportunities for them to deliver.
‘We have faith that this team can make it to the World Cup if the chance for the playoffs is there in March. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jon for this period.
‘Jon has been professional in his relationship with the players, the leaders in the national team staff and with SvFF. It is always sad to go our separate ways, but football is results-based and we have reached a point where results are not enough.’
