Pocognoli to take charge of Scotland away to Slovenia in Nations League opener
Sebastien Pocognoli takes charge of Scotland for the first time away to Slovenia in the Nations League on 26 September 2026; the 39-year-old has already refreshed the squad but will face early scrutiny if new style and substance do not follow the initial goodwill.
Scotland begin life after Steve Clarke, who managed the national team for seven years and guided them to three major tournaments, with Pocognoli tasked to replace the nation’s longest-serving and most successful manager. Clarke’s pragmatic approach won qualification results but left some supporters fatigued by the style of play; the Scottish FA has taken a bit of a gamble in appointing Pocognoli as they seek a different direction. For co-hosts Scotland, it's harder not to qualify for Euro 2028 than it is to claim one of the 24 places, a reality that should allow the new manager time to implement changes.
Pocognoli has spoken of the "foundations" being in place and has introduced a number of younger players, prompting captain Andy Robertson to praise the new arrivals’ "energy and enthusiasm" and say the squad will 'learn on the job' under the new coach. Robertson met Pocognoli for dinner and held multiple chats with him before the training camp in La Manga, where players pushed themselves hard in drills and had to be peeled off the pitch during sessions in Spain.
There is a sense the tactical change will be about how Scotland are asked to play rather than a wholesale personnel overhaul, with the sweeping assumption being that Pocognoli will favour a 3-4-3 system in one of its variations intended to be aggressive in the final third. Despite the new-look squad, experienced figures remain available to steady younger players when required.
Pocognoli’s managerial resume includes 107 games in charge at Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, and as a player he won 13 caps for Belgium; by comparison with Clarke and other international managers he is relatively inexperienced. In the current squad, 12 players were not in the United States for the World Cup and eight are yet to win a first cap, reflecting a clear focus on youth overseen by SFA chief football officer Craig Mulholland.
New call-ups include Sevilla striker Robbie Ure, Brondby captain Luis Binks and late addition Kristi Montgomery, while Oli McBurnie returns to the squad. James Wilson and Findlay Curtis, both capped by Clarke with Curtis making two World Cup cameos, have been released to the under-21s for their hosting of Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
Scotland’s opening group fixtures give Pocognoli a relatively low-pressure start: after the trip to Slovenia he will host Switzerland and then travel to North Macedonia before a return meeting with Slovenia at Hampden on 6 October. The article notes there are a couple of back-door routes to the Euros in two years' time, and that Pocognoli may be afforded a period of patience—"Eleven days is more than most are awarded."
