Sebastien Pocognoli agrees initial two-year contract as Scotland men's head coach
Sebastien Pocognoli has agreed an initial two-year contract to become Scotland men's head coach, the Scottish Football Association confirmed on 16 August 2026. He succeeds Steve Clarke after Clarke's seven-year spell in charge.
Pocognoli, 39, arrives with a reputation for eye-catching, possession-oriented football and was sacked as Monaco boss in June after eight months, making him available to the SFA. He led Union Saint-Gilloise to the Belgian league title in 2024-25 — USG's first in 90 years — and was named coach of the year in Belgium. The Belgian has described his brand of football as "a dominant one, with and without the ball" and has said he wants his teams to press intensely while achieving "real mastery in possession".
Scotland's national team under Clarke changed markedly from 2019, when the side suffered a heavy defeat in Kazakhstan and had not reached a major finals for two decades, to finishing at back-to-back European Championships and competing at a World Cup. Clarke qualified Scotland for three of four tournaments during his tenure, and Pocognoli will be expected to at least maintain that level of qualification and results while introducing a different style and refreshing the squad.
Supporters' appetite for a change of approach was one factor in Clarke's departure, and the SFA's chief football officer Craig Mulholland said Pocognoli "will bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters", adding that Scotland are aiming to "evolve from a position of strength". Clarke himself said the core he developed over his seven-year spell is "not finished yet".
Pocognoli's prior work at youth level — including roles with Belgium's youth set-up and academy coaching at USG and Genk — was viewed positively by the SFA and complements his senior coaching record. During his playing career he featured at almost every youth level for Belgium before winning 13 senior caps.
Concerns about the pipeline of Scottish youth talent have been raised, but a handful of young players have emerged recently: Ben Gannon-Doak, 20, has become a Scotland regular; Findlay Curtis, 19, made two late World Cup appearances; Tyler Fletcher travelled with the squad to the United States but did not play; and Lennon Miller is a teenager whose international status could be reconsidered. Kieron Bowie, 23, missed the World Cup cut but will be playing in Serie A next season, and striker Robbie Ure has attracted attention after a free-scoring spell with Sirius in Sweden and a move to Sevilla earlier this month.
Pocognoli's first period in charge will be a four-game camp over three weeks at the end of September and start of October, an extended international interval designed to reduce interruptions during the club season and give him extra time on the training pitch. The Nations League provides his first competitive fixtures: Scotland travel to Slovenia on Saturday, 26 September, host Switzerland the following Tuesday, visit North Macedonia on 3 October, and meet Slovenia again three days later in Glasgow.
The immediate next step is the extended camp and Pocognoli's first squad announcement ahead of Scotland's Nations League matches, beginning with the trip to Slovenia on 26 September.
