Graham Potter opens up on Chelsea exit and return to football as he says he’s watching the ‘madness from afar’
GRAHAM POTTER has lifted the lid on his football hiatus.
Potter, 49, has been without a job since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 after just seven months in charge.
Despite being linked with a number of jobs, including the England role, he has remained out of football management.
However, he has now lifted the lid on what he has been doing since his Blues exit.
Speaking on the BBC’s Planet Premier League, Potter said: “The time I’ve had has been, you know, amazing. I had 12, 13 years of non-stop football coaching, managing.
“So from the fourth tier in Swedish football to last eight in the Champions League with Chelsea.
“So that doesn’t come for free in terms of how much you have to devote and how much you have to sacrifice for that, especially when you’ve got a young family.
“So to be able to have the time to spend with them, to reconnect with them, to sort of get a bit of energy and reflect and can look back on the 12 years and think, ‘OK, what went well and what can I improve and what do I need to do and what do I want the next 12 years look like?’.
“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want it to happen.
“But when it does happen, you have to try and take the positives and look at it as a bit of a gift and say, ‘OK, look, what does the next stage, you know, sort of bring and what does it look like and how do I want it to look?’.
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“And now, yeah, I’m enjoying doing things like this, this is something I never really did because when you’re a football manager, you haven’t got time to do stuff like this.
“And I quite like to experience new things. So that’s been good to be able to do that.
“And at the same time, you give yourself a chance to watch the madness from afar and you get a perspective and then, you know, you look back and I can honestly say I’m more confident in my own ability now than I was before I went to Chelsea or before I went to Brighton.
“So the process has been good.”
Potter is married to Rachel, who he started dating in the 1990s.
They have three sons together who live in Sweden, with Potter splashing out on a £2million mansion located just an hour from Ostersund – where he spent seven successful years as boss – in 2023.
Asked about the England job and the appointment of Thomas Tuchel, whom he replaced at Chelsea, the ex-Brighton boss revealed: “Well, like I said a few weeks ago, I’ve been out of work for 18 months.
“And I’ve had conversations with quite a few people, but I don’t want to get in a place where I’m confirming or denying anything because I don’t think that’s fair for anybody.
“With regard to that I think they’ve made a really good appointment for a coach that is obviously successful, has won lots of things and I think if that’s the strategy and if that’s the criteria then it’s a fantastic appointment because Thomas’s record is brilliant and he’s won the Champions League.”
Forgotten England stars could benefit from Tuchel appointment
WITH Thomas Tuchel announced as the next England manager, a few forgotten stars might be hopeful of a return to the international set up.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation.
That could provide an opening for Mason Mount, who’s not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.
The now Manchester United star enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.
RLC has excelled since his move to AC Milan and with England struggling to find a partner for Rice, he could be the surprise answer.
Meanwhile, Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.
The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.
Click here to see the full England XI who could play under Tuchel.
He added: “Do I think that an English coach can win the World Cup or a major trophy? Yes, absolutely I do.
“So you look at the previous winners, the Spanish coach, I don’t think was a Champions League winning coach. I don’t think the Argentinian coach was a Champions League-winning coach.
“If you look at the last, in the last European coach to, to win outside of Europe, the World Cup, Joachim Loew, his career was, was one of a coach.
“But at the same time, I understand if that’s the criteria and it feels like that was the movement towards how we need a winning coach, a top coach that can help these top players, then Thomas is a fantastic coach and a great appointment.”
In September, Potter also addressed rumours linking him with the Manchester United job if Erik ten Hag is sacked.
He told Sky Sports: “I take what the media say with a pinch of salt.
“I am the only coach in world football to be linked with Stoke City and Napoli in the same week.
“I have had lots of conversations with lots of people and I think out of respect to those people it’s best those are kept private.”
Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.
Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.
Gareth Southgate
Enjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.
Kieran McKenna
Talks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.
Roberto De Zerbi
Allegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.
Thomas Frank
Brentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.
Marco Silva
Fulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
Fell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Thomas Tuchel
Made a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.
Roberto Martinez
Portugal manager was considered in the early stages.