Yasin Ayari praises the Graham Potter effect as Sweden target World Cup impact – The Athletic
Yasin Ayari’s World Cup debut with Sweden has extra spice for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder.
The opening Group F fixture for coach Graham Potter’s side (10pm Sunday ET; 3am Monday BST) is against Tunisia — and Ayari’s father is Tunisian. Indeed, Ayari’s connection with North African nations competing in this tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico does not stop there. His mother is Moroccan.
Based on FIFA’s latest rankings, it is Morocco out of the three who have the best chance of making an impact at the finals. The Group C rivals for Brazil, Scotland and Haiti are ranked seventh by football’s world governing body, with Sweden 38th and Tunisia 45th.
Ayari, however, has no regrets about choosing to represent the country of his birth, having played for Sweden from under-17s level through to their senior team.
“It was kind of easy for me, because I was born in Sweden and came through the national teams when I was younger, so it was a simple decision,” the 22-year-old says. “Obviously, I want the best for them (his parents). My mother and father are from those countries. When I was younger, I was there a lot for holidays and stuff.
“It’s been just natural for me to stick with Sweden. My father as well said, ‘You decide what you want to do’. Morocco are doing very well (semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year), Tunisia not so good, but they’re always fighting to get to the World Cup. And now they have a good generation with players outside (of the country) in Europe.“
Ayari’s dad moved to Sweden to pursue a football career as a winger and No 10, but ended up coaching his son in a local team, where he was spotted at eight by Ayari Snr’s former club, Stockholm’s AIK. Ayari’s mum also works behind the scenes at AIK and his younger brother, 21-year-old Taha, is a winger there.
Yasin Ayari rides a challenge during a pre-World Cup friendly against Greece this month (Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)
The best moment of Ayari’s 21-game career with Sweden so far came when they beat Poland 3-2 in a UEFA play-off final on home soil in March to book their place at the World Cup.
“Yeah, for sure,” he says, talking to reporters at Brighton’s training centre in Lancing about how it felt when Viktor Gyokeres scored the 88th-minute winner that night. Ayari had provided the assist for Anthony Elanga’s opening goal midway through the first half.
“Joy. Just joy, because the stadium, 50,000, 60,000… everyone is screaming. So, just joy. And being able to have your family, friends, and your team-mates — who you can call your family as well — to be able to see them so happy was something extra.”
Ayari joined Brighton in January 2023, four months after Potter left the club for ill-fated spells managing Chelsea and then West Ham United. He has been a key player in the hand-in-hand rejuvenation of coach and national team, starting regularly since the Englishman took charge last October.
“I just asked how he is as a coach, but the first thing they said was that he is a good guy,” says Ayari of quizzing colleagues at Brighton about what to expect from his new Sweden boss. “I got that sense directly when I was at the first camp with him. He is a good person first and foremost, and second of all, a good manager.
“He came in with a calmness because, at the time, everything was so chaotic, because there was a chance we wouldn’t make it (qualify). So he came in and made sure we believed in ourselves. The group came together, and it paid off.
“Especially when you have the play-offs, you just need to win those games. So at that time, it wasn’t so much about him showing how good he is tactically. It was about him showing us that he trusts us, putting the team together and always believing in ourselves.
“He has asked me to play the way I like to play, because I’m me and I’m at my best when I play free.”
Yasin Ayari runs with the ball against Everton’s Harrison Armstrong (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Ayari’s season with Brighton tailed off after a shoulder injury interrupted his flow in February. He made 29 league appearances, with three goals and three assists, but only two of his 20 top-flight starts were from the end of January on.
Sweden’s two top strikers at this World Cup are coming off contrasting campaigns with their own English clubs.
Gyokeres won the title and reached the Champions League final with Arsenal, but Alexander Isak’s September move from Newcastle United to Liverpool did not get off the ground due to injury, loss of form and the collective malaise of the deposed champions.
“They are two of the best in the world, of course,” adds Ayari. “I’m happy they’re in my team, it’s going to be fun. They work together quite well. They are similar, but at the same time they have different qualities.
“We know what we need to do to be able to make them shine.”
