Graham Potter on his Swedish love affair, Viktor Gyokeres and World Cup pain: 'You're in this amazing bubble and then it's gone'

Potter reflects on Sweden's World Cup exit to France, the emotional toll of tournament elimination, and his journey to the Sweden job.

Graham Potter discusses the strange emptiness that follows World Cup elimination after Sweden's 3-0 loss to France in the round of 32. He describes the sudden shift from the intense brotherhood of tournament football—weeks of eating, sleeping and working together—to abrupt separation when the campaign ends.

The, former Sweden manager and his staff had one final evening together in New York before dispersing, which he says felt surreal.

Potter reflects on Sweden's tournament, which began promisingly with a 5-1 win over Tunisia but unravelled with a 5-1 defeat by Netherlands and a 1-1 draw with Japan, leaving them third in the group and facing France. He acknowledges the French were the better team but emphasizes the importance of analyzing what Sweden could have done differently.

The interview also touches on Potter's unlikely journey to the Sweden role, beginning 15 years ago when he took a job in the remote fourth-tier Swedish city of Ostersund at age 35, a move that initially tested his family but ultimately proved transformative. He now leads Sweden in a Nations League campaign where they are on the verge of promotion to the top tier.