At 38, Sebastien Pocognoli is set to become the youngest coach to officiate in Ligue 1 this season. Which speaks volumes about his meteoric rise in the business.
Replacing Adi Hutter on the AS Monaco bench, the Belgian is still a long way from being able to boast the same experience as his predecessor. But that does not mean he is any less qualified for the job than his predecessor. At least, that is the view of his new employers.
With just a few days to go before he makes his debut in Ligue 1 at Angers on Saturday, here are five things you need to know about Pocognoli, Monaco’s new manager.
He could have played for Monaco during his career
There is a parallel universe in which Pocognoli’s story in Monaco would have been one of a return rather than a simple arrival. For yes, the Belgian could have worn the colours of the Principality’s club during his football career.
“A long time ago, I was linked with certain French clubs, including Monaco, during the heyday of my career. For the record, they came to see me at Genk to make their decision, and I got a red card, so the deal didn’t go through,” he said at his introductory press conference. “I’ve got a second chance, so that’s good.”
A former left-back with 13 caps for Belgium, Pocognoli has played for numerous clubs and in several countries during his almost 15 years on European pitches. Starting out at Genk, his adventure took him to the Netherlands (AZ Alkmaar), Germany (Hannover) and England (West Bromwich Albion, Brighton), as well as other Belgian football clubs such as Standard Liege and Union Saint-Gilloise, where he eventually hung up his boots.
He won Union Saint-Gilloise’s first championship title in 90 years
Union Saint-Gilloise are also the club where Pocognoli had his first experience as head coach. After managing the under-21 team, moving on to coach Genk’s under-18 team and their counterpart at the Belgian national team, he was given the reins of USG’s professional team in the summer of 2024.
And to say that he has fully repaid the trust placed in him by his directors would be an understatement. Certainly far beyond their respective expectations.
Ultimately, few would have predicted that such an inexperienced coach, unknown to the general public, could lead the Brussels club to their first league title in 90 years. Yet this is precisely what Pocognoli achieved during the 2024-25 season.
At 37 years and 297 days old, he became the third youngest coach in the history of the Belgian league since the Second World War to achieve this feat.
Louis van Gaal has influenced him
Pocognoli owes much of his taste for the sidelines to a coach he played under at the start of his playing career. In 2007, shortly after signing with Alkmaar, the Belgian met Louis van Gaal, his new boss. Working alongside him, perhaps without even realising it, his apprenticeship began.
“With him, I felt like I was improving every day. When he left (for Bayern Munich), I felt like I wasn’t as good. That meant he was a very good coach,” he recalled. “It made me realise that a coach can be very important for a player and really have an impact on their development. That’s when I thought to myself, why not become a coach one day?”
Van Gaal, for his part, did not necessarily see this as his calling, and was the first to be surprised by this career change. “He was so reserved, so modest,” the Dutchman recalled in Le Soir. Today, the teacher can be proud of his apprentice.
He preaches a ‘dominant’ style of play
Not only does Pocognoli share van Gaal’s characteristic rigour, his style is also reminiscent of his elder. First and foremost, this translates into a penchant for attacking play based on intensity.
In last season’s Jupiler Pro League, only Club Brugge (86) managed to find the back of the net more often than his Union Saint-Gilloise (71). And this is largely thanks to a game that he himself describes as “dominant”.
“The game that I like is a dominant game with and without the ball, with high pressing, counter-pressing, but also with control in possession.”
However, for Pocognoli, defence is also paramount. At least, that is what is reflected in the fact that his team conceded only 28 goals in 40 matches. Anderlecht, the second-best team of the season in this respect, meanwhile allowed 40 in the same period. All of these points speak volumes about the importance of the collective spirit that Pocognoli wants to build.
“My role is to put a structure in place where the defenders depend on the work of the attackers. That’s what my team did very well last year, line by line.”
A former Ligue 1 player is part of his staff
In his attempt to repeat his success in a league that is currently unfamiliar to him, Pocognoli will be able to count on the experience of a man who is no stranger to it.
Having played for Lille (2004–2008) and Saint-Etienne (2008–2010), Kevin Mirallas is in fact very familiar with Ligue 1.
“Kevin arrived last year when we were playing very good football but couldn’t score,” explained Pocognoli. “And for me, a coach needs to know what he’s good at, but he also needs to surround himself with the right people. So Kevin arrived with his human approach and his striker’s sensitivity, and he was the catalyst we needed!”
Both having come through the Standard youth teams, Pocognoli and Mirallas share a common vision. A vision that they will now have the opportunity to bring to Monaco, where they both hope to continue to shine.
