Nearly an hour after the wild celebration with the players, managers and the ecstatic Swedish fans, Potter stepped into the press conference with his twin sons Sam and Theo.
The boys sat at the front.
"Take care of yourselves," Dad said with a smile.
The boys behaved in an exemplary manner, in the style of the players that their father, Potter, had made go through fire and water as a close-knit collective to achieve the dream of the World Cup.
Graham Potter is being praised everywhere for the job he has done in a short time with a national team that had been on thin ice as recently as last fall.
"Reached bottom"
Was it an injured team?
Yes, it was. In more ways than one, literally. When the results go against you, you see how football can change, life changes. You think you've hit rock bottom. It's darkness.
It wasn't long ago that the team was heavily criticized. That's part of the job. Now the support from the crowd was huge. We weren't perfect, but as a team we were outstanding. It's going to be a fantastic summer with the World Cup.
The 3–1 win over Ukraine and the 3–2 win over Poland in the playoff matches represent a transformation that has surprised many who follow the national team.
We showed what we can achieve as a team. The players have been very responsive. We have shown what we can do as a team against a very good Poland. Most things in football are determined by how much money you have. But if you can create the right environment and work together correctly, it can go a long way.
And it's for the World Cup and I'm very happy for the players. It's hard to let it sink in. I'm so grateful.
Biggest he has ever experienced
Your greatest moment as a coach?
Yes, with everything that has happened. Where the team was, the injuries, getting everything in place. It has been a huge challenge. I have to thank everyone in management for the support I have received. It is always the players on the pitch who do the work, but you need people behind the scenes.
Potter's substitutions proved to be the difference as the match hung in the balance well into the second half, after Poland had tied the score at 2–2.
He chose to bring on the trio of Lucas Bergvall, Besfort Zeneli and Gustav Lundgren. There the Englishman showed his skill as a match coach. It was nothing more than a gut feeling for what needed to be done.
We got a little lost in the second half. Poland pressed us more than we wanted. Lucas has pace, Besfort is good at driving the ball and good defensively. Gustav came in because "Benji" (Benjamin Nygren) went down.
