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Scottish FA appoints Sébastien Pocognoli as head coach

8/17/2026

Summary

Pocognoli Named Coach

The Scottish Football Association appointed Belgian coach Sébastien Pocognoli as Scotland’s head coach on a two-year contract on Sunday 16 August 2026, replacing Steve Clarke.
Pocognoli led Union Saint-Gilloise to its first Belgian league title in 90 years in the 2024/25 season.
His first match will be the UEFA Nations League opener away to Slovenia on 26 September 2026.
He becomes Scotland’s second foreign manager after German Berti Vogts (2002-04).

Summary

Pocognoli Wins

He won Belgian Coach of the Year in 2025 after leading Union Saint-Gilloise to its first league title in 90 years.
Union Saint-Gilloise debuted in the Champions League and lost 2-1 to Rangers in the 2025 Europa League.
He coached Union’s Under-21 side, then became Genk’s Under-18 head coach and led Belgium’s U16 and U18 squads.
His Monaco spell ended on 1 June 2026 despite qualifying the club for European competition.

History

Historical Context

The SFA created the national-team manager role in May 1954 and filled it only with Scots until German Berti Vogts became the first foreign coach in 2002. Vogts’ three-year spell saw Scotland’s FIFA ranking drop to 88 in March 2005, prompting the SFA to hire Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli in August 2026 after Steve Clarke’s 2019-2026 tenure that led Scotland to Euro 2020 and the 2026 World Cup.

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Pocognoli Named Coach

The Scottish Football Association appointed Belgian coach Sébastien Pocognoli as Scotland’s head coach on a two-year contract on Sunday 16 August 2026, replacing Steve Clarke.
Pocognoli led Union Saint-Gilloise to its first Belgian league title in 90 years in the 2024/25 season.
His first match will be the UEFA Nations League opener away to Slovenia on 26 September 2026.
He becomes Scotland’s second foreign manager after German Berti Vogts (2002-04).

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