Graham Potter said he did not want to leave Ostersunds FK, but could not turn down the opportunity to join Swansea City.
Potter spent over seven years in Sweden, leading Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top division. The team won the Swedish Cup in 2017 and competed in last season's Europa League before they were knocked out by Arsenal.
However, Potter decided this was the right time to leave Ostersund in favour of a move to Wales.
"As soon as the idea and possibility emerges to work here and to be part of this football club and to take on this challenge, then it becomes quite easy," Potter said when asked why he decided to make the switch.
"Because, like I said before, I was happy [at Ostersunds]. It wasn't like I wanted to leave.
"I was at a great club, trying to win the league, trying to get into the Champions League, so it was an interesting project that we were at.
"But for me it was about the right type of opportunity. And Swansea City just felt like the right one for me."
Potter will attempt to lead Swansea back to the Premier League after their relegation to the Championship last season.
"The last two or three years hasn't been where the club would probably want it to be and that's part of the consideration, but ultimately you'll have to speak to the people in charge," he said.
"And for me it was an opportunity. The desire was to return to the old way of thinking, if you like.
"The Premier League is obviously a very tough competition and if you make mistakes in that you can be punished. I think that's probably what's happened here for the last couple of years.
"And now it's a chance to start again: to use relegation as, like I said yesterday, maybe the best thing that could have happened to the club.
"Because they've had something that they were very, very proud of and lost it over the last two or three years for different reasons and I saw this as the opportunity to bring that back."