Scotland hires Pocognoli as coach after Clarke's departure following World Cup

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scotland hired Sébastien Pocognoli as its new coach on Sunday to replace Steve Clarke, who stepped down from the role after the team was eliminated from the World Cup without advancing from its group. Pocognoli, a former Belgium international, was fired by Monaco on June 1 after a seventh-place finish in the French league and missing out on Champions League qualification. The 39-year-old Pocognoli signed a two-year deal that takes him through to the European Championship in 2028 that Scotland is co-hosting. He was described by the Scottish FA as "one of Europe’s brightest emerging coaching talents,” with his big success being leading Union Saint-Gilloise to its first Belgian league title in 90 years in 2025. “When I first heard of the interest, I was immediately excited about the opportunity," said Pocognoli, who underlined how impressed he was by the passion of Scotland’s supporters that was on show during the country's first World Cup appearance in 28 years. SFA chief football officer Craig Mulholland said Pocognoli will “bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters.” Pocognoli's first matches in charge will be in the Nations League at the end of September, against Slovenia and Switzerland. ___ See AP’s full soccer coverage here