Graham Potter has been named the new head coach of the Sweden national team.
The 50-year-old former West Ham manager takes on the role on a short-term contract, aiming to revive Sweden’s faltering bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
In a statement, Potter said:
“I am very humbled by the assignment, but also incredibly inspired. Sweden has fantastic players who deliver in the world’s best leagues every week.
My job will be to create the conditions for us as a team to perform at the highest level and take Sweden to the World Cup next summer.”
Sweden have been without a head coach since Jon Dahl Tomasson was dismissed following a 1-0 defeat to Kosovo on 13 October — a result that ended their hopes of securing automatic qualification from Group B.
However, Sweden could still reach the play-offs due to their success in the 2024–25 Nations League, where they finished top of their group.
Potter returns to the dugout less than a month after his departure from West Ham. He was sacked at the end of September after a poor start to the Premier League season, with five defeats in six games leaving the club in the bottom three. He managed just six wins in 23 matches after taking charge in January.
Despite his recent struggles in England, Potter remains highly regarded in Sweden thanks to his transformative spell at Östersund, where he guided the club from the fourth tier to the top flight, securing three promotions in four seasons and winning the Svenska Cupen in 2017.
Following his time in Sweden, Potter managed Swansea City and Brighton with success before a brief stint at Chelsea, which ended after seven months.
