Scotland hires Sebastien Pocognoli as first foreign boss since 2004
What's next: The 39-year-old Belgian opens his tenure with Nations League games at Slovenia on Sept. 26 and vs. Switzerland three days later.
Scotland has appointed Belgian coach Sebastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke, making him the men's national team's first foreign manager since Berti Vogts left in 2004. Pocognoli, 39, signed a two-year deal with the Scottish Football Association after leaving Monaco in June. He previously led Union Saint-Gilloise to its first Belgian league title in 90 years in the 2024-25 season. The SFA is betting on a more attacking style after Clarke's exit following Scotland's group-stage elimination at the World Cup. Pocognoli, a former Belgium international who played for West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion, takes over ahead of Nations League matches away to Slovenia on Sept. 26 and at home to Switzerland on Sept. 29.