On the evening of March 11, less than a day before the Swedish Football Association was to announce that Graham Potter was extending his contract through the 2030 World Cup, a new face appeared on Instagram.
Under the username @grahampotter, Sweden's national team head coach wants to show that he is more than just a football coach.
"It was my 16-year-old son who encouraged me," Potter says of the newly started account.
I think it's pretty nice, just being able to share things and show a little bit of yourself. To show a little bit of what we do on the side. But I've just started; we'll see what comes of it.
World Cup ticket at stake
The easiest way into the hearts of the Swedish people is through the results. On Thursday, a match against Ukraine awaits in Valencia. A victory there would set up a decisive playoff final at the Strawberry Arena in Solna next Tuesday, against Poland or Albania, for a ticket to this summer's World Cup.
If the 50-year-old Englishman succeeds in leading Sweden's national team to the World Cup in North America, much will be gained in his relationship with the Swedes.
I've been around long enough to realize that the best way to generate interest is to win football matches. But the support so far has been fantastic.
But Potter also believes inviting them into parts of his private life can help. Last week he posted a clip of himself attending a Premier League match, Sunderland–Brighton, with his sons.
Daydreaming about Solna
Is it important to show that there is a person behind the role of national head coach?
"Yeah, I hope so. That's how I want to use it anyway, I think. Like I went to a game with my guys and put it out there, that was fun. I'm a football coach and my main job is to win games, but I'm also a human being and a father and things like that," Potter says.
Next Tuesday, the relationship between Graham Potter and the football family could reach new heights. There is no better spark than the opportunity to secure a World Cup ticket in front of a packed national stadium in Solna.
It's a dream. It's something you daydream about, of course, because it would mean we've won the game against Ukraine. That's where all the focus is.
