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After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
How important was Mr Van Gaal for you?
Louis van Gaal was certainly the coach who influenced and inspired me to do this job very early on in my career. For the simple reason that, every day, I felt like I was improving when I worked with him. He’s extremely disciplined and passionate. And I think when you love your job, when you love what you do, you want to move forward and you’re open to criticism so that you can get better every day. That approach really enlightened me to the idea of enjoying the work on a daily basis thanks to an individual. Working with him brought me so much. It was a wonderful period.
Sébastien Pocognoli is also someone who knows how to confront players, who can be strict but also honest. Is that typically you as a coach?
When training goes well and there’s nothing to say, I’m usually about positive reinforcement. But for sure, I don’t let my players have the opportunity to stay in a comfort zone.
And, yes, I think that’s the foundation if we want to succeed. At Union, we [had] young players, we [needed] to push them individually, and you have to be tough, fair, also close to them, be able to laugh too, but when it’s time to work, you have to do it at 200%.
That’s a value I try to instil every day.
There’s a certain Diego Simeone. In my opinion, and that of my colleagues, we mention Simeone because I think there’s a bit of him in you?
Regarding Atlético’s style of play and their coach, there are some similarities because we are both very passionate. We are both very animated on the touchline.
But I’m also very much looking forward to [facing] Marseille and the coach, [Roberto] de Zerbi, who is also a great inspiration for many young coaches.
Last year, you must have thought about the year you won the Eredivisie title with AZ Alkmaar. Do you draw on moments or memories from your past when coaching?
I don’t really use moments because every era and every club is different. But I know how to go and win a title, and I know which pieces of the puzzle you need to put together. I also recognise the risks of winning a title, and what you can do when you don’t manage it. If you manage to master as many things as possible, you have the best chance of moving in the right direction.
After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
How important was Mr Van Gaal for you?
Louis van Gaal was certainly the coach who influenced and inspired me to do this job very early on in my career. For the simple reason that, every day, I felt like I was improving when I worked with him. He’s extremely disciplined and passionate. And I think when you love your job, when you love what you do, you want to move forward and you’re open to criticism so that you can get better every day. That approach really enlightened me to the idea of enjoying the work on a daily basis thanks to an individual. Working with him brought me so much. It was a wonderful period.
Sébastien Pocognoli is also someone who knows how to confront players, who can be strict but also honest. Is that typically you as a coach?
When training goes well and there’s nothing to say, I’m usually about positive reinforcement. But for sure, I don’t let my players have the opportunity to stay in a comfort zone.
And, yes, I think that’s the foundation if we want to succeed. At Union, we [had] young players, we [needed] to push them individually, and you have to be tough, fair, also close to them, be able to laugh too, but when it’s time to work, you have to do it at 200%.
That’s a value I try to instil every day.
There’s a certain Diego Simeone. In my opinion, and that of my colleagues, we mention Simeone because I think there’s a bit of him in you?
Regarding Atlético’s style of play and their coach, there are some similarities because we are both very passionate. We are both very animated on the touchline.
But I’m also very much looking forward to [facing] Marseille and the coach, [Roberto] de Zerbi, who is also a great inspiration for many young coaches.
Last year, you must have thought about the year you won the Eredivisie title with AZ Alkmaar. Do you draw on moments or memories from your past when coaching?
I don’t really use moments because every era and every club is different. But I know how to go and win a title, and I know which pieces of the puzzle you need to put together. I also recognise the risks of winning a title, and what you can do when you don’t manage it. If you manage to master as many things as possible, you have the best chance of moving in the right direction.
After completing the resuscitation of one of Europe’s sleeping giants last season, it is hardly surprising that Sébastien Pocognoli found himself on French giants AS Monaco’s radar.
Taking charge of his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of 2024/25, Pocognoli’s task was clear: get his side over the line after coming oh-so-close for three years in a row. With Union only returning to the top-flight three years prior, it was a tall order, but after a 3-1 win over Gent on the final day of last season, they finally got their hands on the Belgian crown after a very long wait.
In returning Union to the Promised Land, he also made history for the club as the first head coach to ever lead them out in the Champions League in 2025/26. He then masterminded the perfect debut with a 3-0 win on the road against PSV Eindhoven.
If it’s no shock that his work has drawn the attention of one of the game’s most prestigious names, then you may find your eyebrows shoot up at the fact he has only had one season in senior management. That’s right – Union’s year of glory was not just his first at the club; it was Pocognoli’s first full stop.
Now, the former Belgian international – still just 38 – having taken the helm at Monaco in October, faces a huge Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur coming up in just his second game in the dugout.
The former Union boss spoke to us prior to his old side facing Newcastle in the Champions League. With a new frontier looming, he told us all about his managerial inspirations, his coaching ethos, and similarities to Diego Simeone on the touchline.
Could you explain who have been your greatest influences in your career as a head coach?
I think the first inspiration comes from outside of football. So that’s family – parents and other encounters in life. And then there’s the professional journey. I’ve certainly been fortunate to work with some very good coaches. You take something from each coach, so I try to be my own coach, I would say. But Louis van Gaal is certainly the coach from whom I learned the most.
When you were together, did you look to him and try to take on some of his attributes? Or were you not even considering a career as a coach at that point?
He inspired me to become a coach when I was 20 years old. Pretty young – because I felt so good with him. I think when you’re passionate about what you do, you feel better and better every day when you’re inspired by certain individuals. Not only in football but in any walk of life.
I think it makes you want to do that job. It suited me really well because he was pretty tough with me. Ultimately, though, if you're tough and you want a player to develop, it’s for their own good. It made me want to go for it because that approach made us champions. We were definitely on a path together.
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