GRAHAM POTTER OPEN TO COACHING NEWCASTLE ACE AFTER WEST HAM EXIT
Following Jon Dahl Tomasson's sacking, former Chelsea & West Ham manager Graham Potter expresses interest in the vacant Sweden national team job. Potter, who has a history in Sweden, says he would welcome the "amazing" role.
Anthony Elanga, a standout for Newcastle United, is among a talented group of Swedish players who are currently lacking a coaching staff manager.
The Swedish Football Federation did, in fact, fire Jon Dahl Tomasson on Tuesday, making him the first men's manager ever fired.
It happened after the former Newcastle United striker led Sweden to a 1-0 loss to Kosovo, dropping them to the bottom of Group B in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Considering the current Swedish squad, that is a disappointing return. Elanga is a member of an outstanding supporting cast, and few nations could play two strikers as potent as Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak.
Although there is still a remote possibility that Sweden may make it to the World Cup next summer, not much about them is very motivating at the moment.
Nevertheless, Graham Potter, the recently fired former manager of West Ham, appears to have entered the race.
Graham Potter is willing to accept a position in Sweden.
After a brief stint as manager, Potter left the Hammers last month and is currently unemployed.
After challenging stints at Chelsea and West Ham, his reputation has recently taken a serious hit in the Premier League.
Therefore, it appears that a career change into international management would be appealing. Potter has experience in Swedish football and gained notoriety as Östersund's manager from 2011 to 2018.
"I just heard the news," he told FotbollSkanalen. Of course, it is depressing. For JDT and Swedish football.
However, absolutely. In fact, I am currently in my Swedish home in Sweden. I recently left the Premier League and am in between jobs. Really, anything where I think I can be of assistance is welcome. Being the captain of the Swedish national team is an amazing job.
"I am attracted to Sweden. I adore Swedish football and the nation. Swedish football has given me a lot for which I am thankful. So, certainly, I would have a great opportunity. Naturally.
Following Kosovo's defeat, Anthony Elanga's letter to Sweden's supporters
Despite the chances being against them, Elanga was quick to emphasise that Sweden's dream was not over.
They could theoretically still make it to the World Cup through the play-offs, but it would require an unlikely comeback from here.
Elanga received criticism from the Swedish media, but the Newcastle forward is solely focused on their next schedule.
He wrote, "We have stumbled, but we are not done," on his Instagram story. The narrative is not yet complete! I will see you in November.
In November, Sweden visits Switzerland before welcoming Slovenia.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
