Sebastien Pocognoli has spoken publicly for the first time since taking charge of the Scotland national team, explaining how the country's footballing passion drew him to the role and outlining his plans to build on the foundation left by predecessor Steve Clarke.
The 39-year-old Belgian, who previously played as a left-back for West Brom, Brighton and Monaco, arrives in Scotland after guiding Union Saint-Gilloise to their first Belgian league title in 39 years. He steps into a position vacated by Clarke, who departed after the World Cup having led Scotland to three major tournament qualifications, despite the team's difficulties in making a strong impression once there.
Pocognoli said the emotional intensity surrounding Scottish football played a significant role in his decision to accept the job. "For me it's an exciting challenge because I never go through a challenge where I can't feel the connection. Scotland is a passionate country for football, I'm passionate," he said.
He recalled how quickly he became convinced this was the right move once discussions began. "When I had the first contact, it's not like you pick up the phone and you think 'hmmm'. I was straight away very curious and interested because I always feel something special for the passion of Scottish football. It's very famous in Belgium, this aspect," he explained, adding that this cultural connection was central to his choice. "It's a big part of my decision because I think it can make a good fit with what I want to produce on the pitch and what the supporters want."
Despite his enthusiasm for fresh ideas, Pocognoli was careful not to suggest he plans a wholesale transformation of Scotland's identity. Instead, he intends to preserve the qualities that have defined the national team in recent years while adding his own tactical touches. "I want to keep a strong foundation that was built in the past," he said. "When you think about Scotland, it's passionate players who fight together, who defend together, who want to help their team-mates. That was the DNA from the team in recent years."
He indicated that supporters can expect a more front-footed approach under his guidance. "What I will try to do, and we have the capacity to do this, is to maybe defend from the front, be a little bit more aggressive going forward and try to have a good football moment on the pitch," he said. "I'm quite direct in terms of football and try to be aggressive and try to dominate. I think all the coaches in modern football try to do this and say that, but the reality is that you have to do it."
Pocognoli pointed to his managerial track record as evidence that his words translate into results on the pitch. "If you watch my two previous teams, you can see a relation between what I say and what I hope I can produce in a very short period of time," he said, insisting that every player in his squad will be expected to embrace his football philosophy regardless of reputation or position. "It doesn't matter where you play or who you are, you have to show the desire and fit the philosophy that I want to bring on the pitch. But we have all the quality already in the squad to do this."
One of his key tasks will be balancing the introduction of younger talent with retaining the experienced core that has driven Scotland's recent tournament qualifications. Pocognoli explained that the Scottish FA's brief to him was clear from the outset. "What they asked me to do is just to keep the heritage that was built the last years with Steve Clarke and his staff, because they put Scotland back on the map, but bring new ideas and prepare the future," he said. "The most important thing is what was achieved before, to participate in the tournaments and to win games and that is what they did to reach the World Cup. So for me that's the base and it's a very strong base."
Based on reporting from Independent (football).