The national football team hit rock bottom one autumn evening at Ullevi in Gothenburg. They were knocked out by Kosovo, booed and left without hope for the future after a ruined qualifier. Six months later, the World Cup finals await this summer. Graham Stephen Potter, 50, can actually do magic.
FootballGraham Potter had a disappointing autumn. The Swedish national football team fared even worse. Tonight they seek redemption together. "It's an incredible chance," says the national captain ahead of the home playoff thriller against Poland.
FootballA crucial home match for a World Cup spot - with 49,500 spectators in the stands. It doesn't get any bigger, says Sweden's captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, ahead of the playoff final against Poland. These are the kind of matches you dream of playing.
SportsThe season so far has, quite simply, been one long fucking misery. His club is in crisis, and he himself has suffered various injuries. But like a dandelion pushing itself up through the asphalt, the national team is on its way to the World Cup playoffs against all odds. "We are definitely going to the World Cup," says Lucas Bergvall.
SportsBesfort Zeneli has picked up the pace at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian league. A wild card to throw in against Poland?
SportsCarl Starfelt rates his performance against Ukraine as his best so far for the national team. He knows something similar will be required on Tuesday. The task then is to stop the Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski. The center back says Lewandowski is a world-class striker who, if you give him chances, will take them.
SportsEven crooked roads lead somewhere. Herman Johansson is the latest to show that most things are possible through iron will, determination and the right environment. "There is no right or wrong, really," he says about how one reaches the national team.
SportsFrom a useless punching bag in the World Cup qualifiers to a winning unit. The transformation of the national football team since October is tangible. In a short time, Graham Potter has made his mark and lifted a group of previously lost players. An incredible team effort, says vice-captain Sebastian Larsson after a 3-1 win in the playoff semi-final against Ukraine.
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