Sébastien Pocognoli is the new head coach of the Scotland men’s football team. The Scottish Football Association confirmed the 39-year-old Belgian signed an initial two-year contract. He will lead the national team into the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign.
Pocognoli takes over from Steve Clarke. Clarke resigned after Scotland lost in the group stage of the World Cup in June.
The former Belgium international brings key managerial experience to his new role. He led Union Saint-Gilloise to the Belgian title in his very first season as a head coach. It was the first league title for the club in 90 years.
After his success in Belgium, Pocognoli joined French club Monaco last October. He guided Monaco into the Champions League knockout stage. The team lost a close match to Paris Saint-Germain, who went on to win the tournament. However, Monaco finished seventh in Ligue 1. The club missed out on the next Champions League, so Monaco let him go in June.
Now, the former West Brom and Brighton left-back aims to build on Clarke’s solid record. Clarke guided Scotland to three major tournaments this century. Pocognoli is only the second foreign manager to coach Scotland. German coach Berti Vogts was the first, leading the team from 2002 to 2004.
Pocognoli spoke about his excitement regarding his new role on the SFA website. He said he was thrilled when he first heard about the interest from Scotland. He recalled the passion of Scottish fans from his playing days. He played against Scotland for Belgium back in 2013. He promised to work hard with his coaching staff to give fans a team they can support with pride.
He also noted that he did extensive research before taking the job. He asked questions and looked closely at ways to improve the team. He said he looks forward to working with the players to achieve more success on the pitch.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell praised the new appointment. He stated that Pocognoli was the standout candidate after a thorough search. Maxwell described him as an impressive leader with a clear vision for the team.
Pocognoli will start his new journey with an away game. Scotland plays Slovenia in Ljubljana for their Nations League opener on September 26.
