Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli appointed Scotland head coach

Former Monaco manager Sebastien Pocognoli has been named Scotland's new head coach on an initial two-year contract, replacing Steve Clarke who resigned after the national team's group-stage exit at the World Cup in June. The Scottish Football Association confirmed the appointment on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Belgian, a former West Brom and Brighton left-back, led Union Saint-Gilloise to the Belgian title in 2024-25 in his first season as head coach before joining Monaco last October. At Monaco, he took the club into the Champions League knockout phase but was sacked in June after a seventh-placed Ligue 1 finish.

Pocognoli is only the second foreign coach to manage Scotland, after Germany's Berti Vogts from 2002-04. Sportstar reports he will begin his tenure with a Nations League opener away to Slovenia in Ljubljana on September 26.