Pocognoli 'feels connection' with 'passionate' Scotland

New Scotland boss Sebastien Pocognoli says the passionate nature of Scottish football was a key factor in his taking the job.

Pocognoli, 39, was confirmed as Steve Clarke's successor on Sunday and introduced himself to the media on Monday.

Clarke ended his seven-year reign earlier this summer after Scotland failed to progress from the World Cup group stage after a victory over Haiti was followed by defeats by Morocco and Brazil.

Former Belgium defender Pocognoli left Monaco at the end of last season and previously led Union Saint-Gilloise to their first league title in 90 years in 2024-25.

He becomes only the second foreign boss of the Scotland men's team, after the German Berti Vogts, and believes he has what it takes to build on Clarke's "strong foundation".

"I'm very proud to be here," Pocognoli said, flanked by Scottish Football Association (SFA) chiefs Ian Maxwell and Craig Mulholland at his introduction.

"It's a very strong challenge, with a project to develop the future of Scottish football. There are the metrics, but the human aspect was also very important. I never go to a challenge where I can't feel the connection.

"Scotland is a passionate country and I think also, regarding the strong foundation that Steve Clarke and his staff laid, that I can use this heritage to put the next accent on the style of play while also developing players for the future.

"That's why I'm here."

SFA chief football officer Muholland and chief executive Maxwell travelled around the world speaking to potential candidates, and the former says Pocognoli impressed both in a data sense and on a personal level.

Pocognoli is taking over a Scotland side that have qualified for back-to-back European Championships and a World Cup, but the SFA is convinced the 39-year-old can take the national team to new heights.

"Sebastien had a massive passion for us becoming a high-performing nation," Mulholland said. "We know what our ambitions are.

"Before you go on the coach search you have to understand what successful nations do to continually get to where we want to be.

"We did a lot of data and from that, we created a set of metrics that led us to a bunch of coaches. Ian [Maxwell] and I went on our travels - so many coaches had a passion for Scotland.

"We looked at metrics around playing style - and Sebastien met all of that - but beyond the data what's important is the person.

"We had to look the person in the eye and know they would add to what we already have."

Benjamin: It is going to be an interesting campaign coming up. Excited to see how it goes and fair play to the SFA for being bold. Just hope it works out for us all, but this is Scotland and anything is possible!

Derek: I just hope that Pocognoli takes a fresh look at the players available and doesn't just pick the same old faces that have failed miserably during Clarke's time as head coach. Time for new Scottish talent to get a chance.

Neil: Hopefully he helps the team progress and achieves Euro 2028 qualification. That has to be the benchmark post-Clarke. Solidifying our defensive system has to be a priority, ensuring the team doesn't put itself under early pressure by losing early goals like it did in the World Cup. He will have a rebuild job to do, but there's no reason to believe that Scotland cannot build on Clarke's legacy with a good crop of younger players.

Roshan: I'm genuinely intrigued by this one. The appointment isn't the predictable, conservative SFA choice like we've seen in the past. They've gone outside Scotland, gone young, and appointed somebody who potentially brings a genuinely different footballing philosophy. I'm excited.

Thomas: It's hard to make a judgement on Pocognoli because most Scots have never heard of him. A really left-field appointment. I do, though, hope he shakes things up and doesn't just stick with guys that have proven they can't take us up to the next level.

Gordon: I hope this guy can instil a new style into the team. Clarke's football was dreadful to watch and I know he got results but... Hopefully this new boss can create a new atmosphere in the squad, developing younger players and playing attacking football.