Scotland have appointed Sebastien Pocognoli as their new head coach.
The 39-year-old, who guided Union Saint-Gilloise to the Belgian league title final yr, replaces Steve Clarke on a two-year deal.
Pocognoli was a free agent after leaving Monaco in June. Capped 13 occasions by Belgium, the previous left-back performed for Genk, AZ Alkmaar – the place he gained the Eredivisie underneath Louis van Gaal – Customary Liège, Hannover 96, West Brom Albion, Brighton and USG.
Pocogonoli does have some restricted expertise of worldwide soccer at youth degree, the place he managed Belgium’s U16 and U18 sides.
However that is his first worldwide job – and simply his third head coach position in senior males’s soccer.
Clarke left the Scotland job after guiding the nation to their first World Cup since 1998. However the Tartan Military had been despatched house on the group stage after one win from three video games.
‘I’ll do all the things to make followers proud’
Pocognoli mentioned: “It is an honour to be requested to grow to be the pinnacle coach of the Scotland nationwide workforce.
“After I first heard of the curiosity, I used to be instantly excited concerning the alternative. Scotland’s supporters are well-known for his or her ardour – most lately on the World Cup within the USA – and I’ve skilled it myself as a participant for Belgium once we performed in 2013.
“Together with my teaching workers, I’ll do all the things I can to offer them a workforce to be pleased with and construct on the success that has been achieved already by my predecessor.
“Since negotiations started, I’ve been doing a whole lot of analysis, asking a whole lot of questions and areas that we will construct on. I’m vastly excited by the prospect and look ahead to working with the gamers to realize much more success.
“We do not have lengthy till the primary camp, so the approaching weeks will likely be spent getting ready for the UEFA Nations League and placing these plans into motion on the coaching pitch once we meet up subsequent month.”
Who’s Sebastien Pocognoli?
Pocognoli is acquainted to British audiences from his spells at West Brom and Brighton.
On the Baggies, the left-back made 21 appearances for the then-Premier League membership in two years, earlier than dropping right down to the Championship to play on mortgage at Brighton.
Earlier than his time in England, he was a part of AZ Alkmaar’s title-winning workforce within the Netherlands in 2009, whereas he additionally featured for Belgian golf equipment Genk and Customary Liege.
Pocognoli performed in England for West Brom and Brighton
Throughout a second spell at Liege after leaving England, he gained the Belgian Cup in 2018, however retired three years later in his early 30s.
His last membership Union Saint-Gilloise – owned by Brighton proprietor and Hearts minority stakeholder Tony Bloom – supplied him the Underneath-21s head coach position on the membership.
After one season, his first membership Genk took him on as Underneath-18s head coach, whereas he additionally labored for Belgium’s U16 and U18 youth groups.
Pocognoli’s USG misplaced to Philippe Clement’s Rangers in the beginning of 2025
USG then supplied him the pinnacle coach position in the summertime of 2024, the place he guided the Belgian aspect to their first league title in 90 years.
Pocognoli was taken to Scotland throughout his one season at USG, the place his workforce had been overwhelmed 2-1 by Rangers within the Europa League.
After successful Belgian Coach of the Yr in 2025 and managing USG’s first-ever matches within the Champions League, Pocognoli took up the Monaco head coach position in October of final yr.
Regardless of qualifying for Europe with Monaco, he was changed as head coach on June 1.