Scotland appoints Sebastien Pocognoli as new head coach
Scotland have appointed Sebastien Pocogonli as their new head coach. The 39-year-old joins on a two-year deal, replacing Steve Clarke in charge of the national team, reports BritPanorama.
Pocogonli has previously won the Belgian league title with Union Saint-Gilloise and comes in after leaving Monaco at the end of last season. This is the Belgian’s first international position and just his third head-coaching role in senior men’s football.
Upon being appointed, Pocognoli said: “It’s an honour to be asked to become the head coach of the Scotland national team. When I first heard of the interest, I was immediately excited about the opportunity. Scotland’s supporters are famous for their passion – most recently at the World Cup in the USA – and I have experienced it myself as a player for Belgium when we played in 2013.”
He added, “Along with my coaching staff, I will do everything I can to give them a team to be proud of and build on the success that has been achieved already by my predecessor. Since negotiations began, I have been doing a lot of research, asking a lot of questions and looking at areas that we can build on. I am hugely excited by the prospect and look forward to working with the players to achieve even more success.”
“We don’t have long until the first camp, so the coming weeks will be spent preparing for the UEFA Nations League and putting those plans into action on the training pitch when we meet up next month.”
Pocognoli now faces the challenge of uniting the team and enhancing its profile on the international stage. His managerial track record may be modest, but he could tap into the spirit and resolve that characterise Scottish football, a reminder that fresh perspectives can invigorate established narratives.
