Scotland has named Belgian coach Sebastien Pocognoli as their new head coach, signing him on an initial two-year contract, the Scottish Football Association confirmed on Sunday. The 39-year-old, who previously managed AS Monaco, will lead the national team in their upcoming Nations League fixtures.
Pocognoli takes over from Steve Clarke, who stepped down after guiding Scotland to their first World Cup in 28 years. Despite this historic qualification, Scotland was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament held earlier this year in North America.
Expressing enthusiasm about his new role, Pocognoli remarked on the passionate support of Scottish fans, recalling his own experience playing in the United States during a Belgium international match in 2013. “When I first heard of the interest, I was immediately excited about the opportunity,” he stated.
Prior to his appointment, Pocognoli had a brief tenure at Monaco, which ended in June after the club finished seventh in Ligue 1 and missed out on Champions League qualification. Before that, he earned the Belgian Coach of the Year award for leading Union Saint-Gilloise to a league title.
The former left-back, who had playing stints with clubs such as Standard Liege, West Bromwich Albion, and Brighton & Hove Albion, becomes only the second foreign manager of the Scotland men’s national team. The first was German Berti Vogts, who managed the team from 2002 to 2004.
