Sebastien Pocognoli in line to be new Scotland manager
Sebastien Pocognoli has emerged as the frontrunner to become the new Scotland manager following Steve Clarke’s resignation, reports BritPanorama.
The 39-year-old former Monaco boss is the Scottish FA’s leading candidate as officials initiate the process of appointing Clarke’s successor.
Pocognoli is currently available after leaving Monaco in June, with Sky Sports confirming he’s now firmly ahead of other candidates. If appointed, he would lead Scotland into a new era following their World Cup disappointment.
The Belgian enhanced his managerial profile by guiding Union Saint-Gilloise to the league title last year before taking charge of Monaco. His familiarity with British football stems from his time in England during his playing career, having represented West Brom in the Premier League and spent the 2016-17 season on loan at Brighton, where he contributed to the Seagulls’ promotion to the top flight.
Scotland are exploring the option of turning to Pocognoli as Clarke’s replacement after the latter concluded a seven-year tenure following the national team’s elimination from the World Cup. Clarke successfully brought Scotland back to the global stage, but they failed to progress from a challenging group featuring Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti.
Scotland started their campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Haiti, courtesy of John McGinn’s decisive goal. However, their aspirations were dashed after a defeat by the same score against Morocco and a devastating 3-0 loss to Brazil, which forced them out of the tournament at the group stage.
After Scotland’s disheartening performance, Clarke decided it was time to step aside, believing he had taken the team as far as he could. “The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn’t have had any of the memories that we’ve accumulated from 2019 until now,” he said. “Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor.”
Clarke had inherited a Scotland team in 2019 that had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup. He then broke that drought, guiding them to two European Championships and this summer’s World Cup. However, results at the tournaments proved challenging, with Scotland exiting at the group stage each time, their victory over Haiti marking their only win across these three major finals. Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell acknowledged the progress made under Clarke, noting Scotland’s journey from being a pot four side to World Cup qualification.
The appointment of Pocognoli could signal a fresh chapter for Scotland, with supporters keen to see how his European managerial experience might translate to international success.
