Scotland appoint Sebastien Pocognoli as head coach on two-year deal

WEB DESK: Scotland have appointed Belgian coach Sebastien Pocognoli as their new head coach on an initial two-year contract, the Scottish FA announced on Sunday.

The 39-year-old former AS Monaco manager replaces Steve Clarke and will take charge of the team for their upcoming Nations League campaign.

Clarke stepped down after leading Scotland to their first World Cup appearance in 28 years. However, the team exited the tournament at the group stage during this year’s competition in North America.

“When I first heard of the interest, I was immediately excited about the opportunity. Scotland’s supporters are famous for their passion, most recently at the World Cup in the USA, and I experienced it myself as a player for Belgium when we played there in 2013,” Pocognoli said in a statement.

He arrives after a brief spell at Monaco, where he was dismissed in June when the club finished seventh in Ligue 1 and failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Before joining Monaco, Pocognoli was named Belgian Coach of the Year after leading Union Saint-Gilloise to the league title.

The former left-back, who played for several clubs including Standard Liege, West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion, is the second foreign manager of the Scotland men’s team after German Berti Vogts, who was in charge from 2002 to 2004.