Former Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has been lined up as the new Scotland head coach.
The Scottish Football Association is closing in on a deal for the 39-year-old Belgian to be named as Steve Clarke’s replacement and the appointment could be confirmed early next week.
The former Belgium international led Union to the 2024-25 Belgian title in his first season as a head coach.
Pocognoli would be Scotland’s second foreign manager after former Germany boss Berti Vogts, who had a two-and-a-half-year spell in charge in the early part of the century.
Pocognoli had previously worked with youth players at Union, plus Belgium and Genk.
The former West Brom and Brighton left-back moved to Monaco in October last year but was sacked at the end of the season.
Pocognoli led Monaco to the Champions League knockout phase where they lost narrowly to Paris Saint-Germain. However they missed out on qualification for this season’s tournament after a seventh-placed finish in Ligue 1, which gained them entry to the Conference League play-offs.
Clarke stepped down after Scotland’s World Cup group-stage exit was confirmed in June, despite having signed a new four-year contract in the build-up to the tournament.
The former West Brom and Kilmarnock manager had led Scotland to their first three major tournaments of the century in his seven-year tenure.
