According to information provided to Aftonbladet, Bardghji complained that he was sitting in the stands when the national team won the playoff final against Poland and qualified for the World Cup.
Many of the players were surprised that he did not show more joy during the gathering at the players' hotel after the 3-2 victory. Some players also reportedly said it was entirely the wrong time to show personal disappointment at not being allowed to play.
Bardghji's behavior is said to have affected Potter's decision on which 26 players to pick for the World Cup squad.
"It was very strange that he almost sat there sulking when we had made it to the World Cup. It was hardly to his advantage," a source in the national team tells Aftonbladet.
"Nothing I noticed"
When asked directly if the information is correct, Potter replies:
- This is the first time I've heard of it. It wasn't something I noticed. Sometimes certain things come out - you don't know where. It's a shame. It's not fair to Rooney.
"It's part of how the world is today. Sometimes things that aren't true become truths and are spread. It was a sporting decision," he says of the decision to leave the Barcelona player out of the World Cup squad.
The teasing of players like Bardghji and Hugo Larsson was quickly questioned by media outlets, experts and national team fans.
Your reaction to those reactions?
"I haven't given it much attention. You can expect different opinions. When it comes to the national team, there are always a lot of emotions and strong opinions and thoughts," says Potter.
Reasonable arguments
"It's something you can't do anything about; it's just the way it is. As I said on Tuesday, it's not as if I'm standing there saying I know and can do everything. Many arguments even sound reasonable to me."
During the press conference announcing the squad, the national team captain justified the selection as follows:
I have chosen a group that can stand strong together and in which the players get the best out of each other. A championship is something different than an ordinary gathering, we are faced with other challenges over time that we need to handle together. And we build that capacity with the right mix of players, where everyone matters.
It's also about the fact that we are 26 players going on a trip: how we can manage time away from each other, how we act and different profiles based on age and experience.
