In a marquee next to the training ground in La Quinta, up in the mountains outside Marbella, the 32-year-old's eyes light up when Potter is mentioned. But Ken Sema also has a lot to thank the Englishman from Solihull for.
It was in Östersund that their careers took off for both of them. The player Sema was lured far north to a club where Potter had already made his mark. They would soon become bigger. Ahead of them lay the best years, with cup victories, an adventure in the Europa League and contracts with bigger clubs.
Now they meet again.
Of course it's special, I won't deny that. It's great fun to watch him. It's more than just football. I know him on another level and he knows me. We had an incredible time together, both on and off the pitch and had a lot of success.
Made Sema grow
It's a source of pride in itself to see him here, to have been given that job, the finest one can have in Sweden.
Give examples of what Potter has meant to you and your career?
He made me grow, to go from being good to very good. I personally think I've had a good career and I have a lot to thank him for. The years in Östersund were extremely good for me and I got to experience a lot.
Sema says that it "requires a longer session" to cover the word "a lot", but he of course mentions the final victory against IFK Norrköping in the Swedish Cup and the away victory against Arsenal in the Europa League.
He gave a speech that made everyone stand up and believe in it. It was a big moment for Swedish football. And after that, things went pretty well for both of us, says Sema.
“Tried to sell dreams”
The thought has crossed his mind about what path his career would have taken if he had not chosen Östersund and had Potter as his coach.
It has slipped by. In retrospect, it was the best step at the time, even if you might not have believed it. I remember a conversation we had, where he tried to sell dreams. Östersund may not have been the team everyone wanted at the time, but he sold it to all of us.
He's good at a lot of things and he's human. He can reach you on so many levels. When you have a relationship, you can make a person grow in ways you might not think. That's what he managed to do.
Sema talks about a brotherhood under Potter. He wants to experience that in the national team as well.
"Anything is possible. I'm hopeful and I think this can be really good. Time is short, but if anyone can do it, it's him," Sema says of Potter.
The national team will conclude the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland (Saturday) and Slovenia (Tuesday). A playoff to the finals will most likely await in March.
Henrik Skiöld/TT
Facts: Important events in Sema's career
TT
2014: Did not receive a new contract with IFK Norrköping from manager Janne Andersson and was recruited at the beginning of the year to Ljungskile by Tor-Arne Fredheim, former player and coach in Norrköping.
2016: Was lured to Östersunds FK by Graham Potter.
2017: Made his debut in January for the national team, which at the time had Janne Andersson as national team captain. Continued to gain confidence in the national team under Jon Dahl Tomasson. Sema has now made 31 international appearances and has scored five goals. Three of them came against Algeria this summer.
2025: Graham Potter was appointed national team captain in October and selected Sema for his first squad, currently assembled in Marbella.
Fun fact: Tor-Arne Fredheim took over the job as coach of Östersunds FK last fall and saved the club from remaining in the Super League.
