Quite out of the blue, Belgian football champions Union are now looking for a new manager. Sébastien Pocognoli (38) has been enticed to make the move to AS Monaco.
AS Monaco had been scouring foreign football pitches for a successor to Adi Hütter for some time. After both Edin Terzić and Sergio Conceiçao turned them down they ended up in the Belgian and Flemish capital.
Sébastien Pocognoli was invited for interview on Wednesday, after which the ball really got rolling. Monaco is said to be paying a transfer fee of €1 million to prise the 38-year-old manager away from Union Saint Gilloise.
It is not surprising that Pocognoli has attracted the attention of European super clubs in such a short time. In his first season, he led Union to the Super Cup, the fixture between champions and cup wnners, and its first national title since 1935.
Even after a difficult period in the autumn, he kept his cool and made his mark in the play-offs: with nine wins and one draw, Union was crowned Belgian champion.
In addition, Pocognoli also demonstrated his ability to improve the performance of young players, an asset that many modern clubs are looking for.
Successor?
During the international break, Union will once again begin the search for a new manager.
Pocognoli is already the fourth to leave Union after (just over) one season. Felice Mazzu, Karel Geraerts and Alexander Blessin all left after just one year.
Union is reportedly interested in Rik De Mil, who is currently working at Charleroi.