New Sweden coach Potter aims to ease pain of losing before 2026 World Cup playoffs

GENEVA (AP) — New Sweden coach Graham Potter wants to help players deal with the frustration of losing 2026 World Cup qualifying games, with the team set to have a second chance in playoffs next year.

Potter’s first game with Sweden — seven weeks after the Englishman was fired by West Ham — is on Saturday at qualifying group leader Switzerland, which can book its place at the World Cup in North America with a win.

Sweden’s three-game losing run, including at home to the Swiss last month, cost previous coach Jon Dahl Tomasson his job and left the team last in the four-team group.

Potter’s likely task on an initial short-term contract is to steer Sweden through the European playoffs in March, which it should enter because of winning a Nations League one year ago. FIFA makes the 16-team playoffs draw next Thursday in Zurich.

“The team is in a difficult situation,” Potter acknowledged on Friday. “Results-wise the campaign hasn’t gone how we wanted it to go. When that happens there’s a lot of pain, there’s frustration.”

He said he’s setting a goal “to help players feel better on the pitch.”

Potter has worked on the emotional side of team building with his players, while describing messages on the field as “relatively clear, relatively simple.”

Sweden has a talented squad though injuries currently leave Potter without Arsenal forward Viktor Gyökeres plus Tottenham pair Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.

Isak available

Liverpool forward Alexander Isak, signed for an English record transfer fee of 125 million pounds ($170 million) in September, is available, Potter said, but cannot play two full games against Switzerland and at home to Slovenia on Tuesday.

“We have to be smart with him,” said Potter, who has returned to Sweden after his last two jobs in England ended abruptly at Chelsea in 2023 and at West Ham.

He made his admired reputation by taking small-town club Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top, and won a Swedish Cup title, in seven years through 2018.

Potter spoke Swedish for most of a half-hour news conference at Stade de Genève. It’s a rare talent among English coaches who have worked abroad.

“I speak to a lot of the players in English because it’s better for them and easier for me,” he said. “I also think it’s important for me to improve my Swedish.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer