Monaco’s Sébastien Pocognoli reveals the manager who inspired him to coach | OneFootball

“I realise everything that is happening. I know it is all moving very quickly,” says Sébastien Pocognoli, who, at the age of 38, has already led Union Saint-Gilloise to the Belgian title and into the UEFA Champions League, and has now joined AS Monaco.

The Belgian, in just his second season as a first-team manager, replaced Adi Hutter at the Principality club, signing a two-year deal over the weekend. Pocognoli has now revealed the manager who inspired him to go into coaching in the first place.

“Louis Van Gaal (under whom Pocognoli played at AZ Alkmaar between 2007 and 2009) was about rigour, human impact, and naturally, an impact on the pitch,” said the new Monaco manager in a press conference attended by Get French Football News.

“I felt myself progressing every day [with him]. When he left, I felt less good. That meant that he was a good manager. That’s when I realised that a coach could be important for a player, and when I said ‘Why not become a coach?'” he added.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco