AS Monaco confirm Sébastien Pocognoli as coach – A bold thinker to lead a new era

AS Monaco announced the arrival of its new coach Sébastien Pocognoli on Saturday evening. The 38-year-old Belgian technician takes over from Adi Hütter.

Three days after the Austrian coach’s departure, the Principality club has found a successor: the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise coach, who joins following a highly successful previous stint.

In his debut season, the talented tactician led Union to their first league title in 90 years, as well as the Belgian Super Cup. He capped off a historic Champions’ Play-offs campaign by securing 28 points from a possible 30, finishing ahead of heavy hitters Club Brugge.

Leaving USG with them leading the league, he arrives with strong credentials and high expectations, as he’ll hope to carry on his momentum to Monaco and quickly implement his ambitious, eye-catching style of play.

Signing a contract until June 2027, he takes over from Hütter, who arrived in the summer of 2023 and whose recent results influenced the management’s decision to terminate his position.

An unfavourable dynamic

With just one win in their last five matches in all competitions, ASM has had a tough recent period. The heavy defeat vs Club Brugge in their first Champions League outing (4-1) and the loss at Lorient in the league (3-1) were probably turning points in the minds of the management. A fan of an attacking style, the former Eintracht Frankfurt coach struggled to offer more variety in his team’s play, which made the strategy too easy to understand for their opponents.

On the other hand, Hütter’s handling of the club’s young talents, particularly attackers Eliesse Ben Seghir and Saïmon Bouabré, both sold during the summer transfer window, raised questions about his ability to nurture and develop emerging players. Their exits sparked a reaction among the club’s most passionate supporters, who were disappointed to see homegrown prospects, long considered a cornerstone of the club’s identity, head for pastures new. Some even went as far as demanding the Austrian coach’s sacking.

Regularly present in the stands, since pre-season, to watch matches, as well as at the Performance Center for various meetings, president Dmitry Rybolovlev seemed no longer convinced by the evolution of his coach’s game.

Clear principles

In order to find an identity more in line with the desired philosophy, the Red and Whites stated in a press release that Pocognoli “distinguished himself by combining sporting results and an ambitious and attractive style of play” during his time in the Belgian capital, where he managed to win the club’s first title in nine decades. A remarkable achievement, especially when compared to financially stronger rivals like Club Brugge and Anderlecht. His success was duly recognised with the Pro League Coach of the Year award.

2.12 – Points par match parmi les entraîneurs de Jupiler Pro League au 21e siècle (min. 50 matches) :

🥇Sébastien Pocognoli – 2.12
🥈Philippe Clement – 1.98
🥉Frank Vercauteren – 1.94

Daghe. https://t.co/HjLZayc8hq

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 12, 2025

The former left-back enjoys a high level of popularity. “Last year, he dazzled everyone with his attitude, his analysis. He remained true to himself,” de Sart, his former coach and sporting director at Standard de Liège, explained to Monaco-Matin.

The player nicknamed “Poco” has well-defined playing principles, based on pressing and possession. “The game I like is a dominant game, with and without the ball. High pressing, counter-pressing, but also real mastery in possession,” he declared on the club’s website.

“He was interested beyond his role as a footballer. We often had discussions, and we could already see that he was a player who thought about what he had to do and what the team would have had to do. He has a form of stability, reflection and behaviour that certainly helps him enormously today, even more so in the coaching profession,” José Riga, his former coach at Standard de Liège, commented to L’Équipe.

Although Pocognoli has only one year of experience as a head coach at the highest level, his rapid rise comes as no surprise to those who have worked with him. “Everywhere he has been, he has been captain. At Standard, even when he no longer played a major sporting role, he was the one in charge of the dressing room. He has always intellectualised football a little, so it was not surprising to find him as a coach,” says a source close to the Belgian club.

Experience working with young players

For Jonathan Lange, editor-in-chief of the sports section of the Belgian daily La Dernière Heure, what defines the man who earned 13 caps for Belgium is the word “intensity”. “On the pitch, he wanted it, he was a fighter, so he expects that from his teams,” he acknowledged.

One coach who particularly impressed Pocognoli during his playing career was the Dutchman Louis van Gaal, when the latter was in charge of AZ Alkmaar. “When he left for Bayern Munich, I became an average player. So I realised that a coach could make you overperform. He gave me so much pleasure in training. I liked suffering to improve. I liked it when he criticised me, it motivated me,” Pocognoli confessed in Le Soir.

What tipped the scales in his favour in the eyes of ASM management was Pocognoli’s ability to develop young players. “For me, players are artists. And for an artist to put on a good show, he has to be comfortable in his body and mind,” he told RTBF. Furthermore, Jean-François de Sart emphasises his closeness to the groups he coaches. “He is very close to them! People management is one of his strengths,” he stated.

The arrival of the former Standard de Liège player comes alongside that of an assistant he has known for a long time, namely Kevin Mirallas, a former Lille striker, who came to lend him a hand in the attacking sector at the end of 2024. A significant asset when we know his influence in the success of the Union Saint-Gilloise attackers in winning the title last spring and who will serve the ASM attacking elements well.

Express adaptation

Just four years after the end of his playing career, during which he played over 360 matches, Pocognoli began his career on the bench with various youth teams, including the U21s of Union Saint-Gilloise, before taking the reins of the professional team a little over a year ago, with the success we all know.

His arrival on the Rock will give him greater exposure, but de Sart believes he has what it takes to excel. “He has proven his worth, and he has all the tools to succeed. He will have to adapt, but I think he is open to a more modern approach to what he may have experienced in the past. He has the intelligence and the skills to do so,” de Sart insisted.

Pocognoli will officially link up with Monaco this Tuesday at the La Turbie Performance Center, before a presentation later. He will take charge of his first match at Angers on Saturday (7 p.m.) during Matchday 8 of Ligue 1, before hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League the following Wednesday (9 p.m.).