Scotland have officially announced Sebastien Pocognoli as the new manager of the national side. The 39‑year‑old French‑speaking Belgian, who steered Union Saint‑Gilloise to the Belgian First Division A crown in the 2024/25 campaign, has signed a two‑year contract to replace Steve Clarke. Pocognoli entered the role as a free agent after parting ways with Monaco in early June.
As a player he earned 13 caps for Belgium and enjoyed a varied club career that included spells at KRC Genk, AZ Alkmaar – where he lifted the Eredivisie under Louis van Gaal – Standard Liège, Hannover 96, West Bromwich Albion, Brighton & Hove Albion and finally USG. His playing résumé also includes a brief stint in the French league with Monaco before hanging up his boots.
On the coaching side, Pocognoli’s résumé is still relatively modest. He has overseen Belgium’s U‑16 and U‑18 youth teams, gaining a taste of international football at the developmental level.
The Scotland job marks his first senior national‑team appointment and only his third senior men’s head‑coach position overall. Prior to taking charge of the Tartan Army, he served as the head coach of Union Saint‑Gilloise, a role he assumed in the summer of 2024 after a year as the club’s under‑21 manager. In his debut season at the helm, he guided the Brussels‑based side to its first league title in 90 years, a feat that earned him the Belgian Coach of the Year award in 2025.
Clarke’s departure came after he led Scotland to their first World Cup appearance since 1998, a tournament that ultimately ended at the group stage with just one victory from three matches. The new boss, however, is keen to build on that foundation and restore the national team’s momentum. In his introductory statement, Pocognoli said: "It is 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 went on to pledge his full commitment: "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." British fans will recognise Pocognoli from his time in England. He featured for West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, making 21 appearances over two seasons, before moving on loan to Brighton, then in the Championship, where he added further experience in English football.
Earlier in his career, he was part of AZ Alkmaar’s 2009 title‑winning side in the Netherlands and also turned out for Belgian powerhouses Genk and Standard Liège. After returning to Standard for a second spell, he helped the club capture the Belgian Cup in 2018 before retiring in his early thirties.
His final playing chapter was at Union Saint‑Gilloise, a club owned in part by Tony Bloom – the Brighton chairman and a minority shareholder in Hearts. Bloom later offered Pocognoli the under‑21 coaching job at USG, which proved to be a springboard for his managerial career. After a season there, his former club Genk recruited him as the under‑18 head coach, while he simultaneously took on responsibilities with Belgium’s U‑16 and U‑18 squads. In the summer of 2024, USG promoted Pocognoli to the senior head‑coach position.
He quickly made history by guiding the team to its first league championship in nine decades, a triumph that also secured the club’s maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League. During his tenure, USG faced Rangers in the Europa League, suffering a narrow 2‑1 defeat on Scottish soil – a match that introduced Pocognoli to the country he would soon call home. His success attracted interest from Monaco, where he was appointed head coach in October of the previous year. Although he managed to qualify the French club for European competition, he was relieved of his duties on 1 June, leaving him available for the Scotland role.
Looking ahead, Pocognoli’s immediate focus will be the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, where Scotland will aim to improve on their recent performances and re‑establish themselves as a competitive force in Europe. He has indicated that the next few weeks will be devoted to intensive training camps, tactical workshops and player assessments, all designed to lay a solid foundation for the squad’s future ambitions. Fans can follow the latest developments, match updates and behind‑the‑scenes content by downloading the Sky Sports app, which offers live coverage, expert analysis and exclusive interviews with the new coach and his players. Pocognoli’s appointment signals a fresh chapter for Scottish football, blending his continental experience, youthful coaching perspective and proven ability to achieve historic success at club level.
If he can translate his tactical acumen and motivational skills to the international arena, the Tartan Army may soon enjoy a resurgence on the world stage.