Monaco pay €425,000 in fines as Sébastien Pocognoli lacks licence | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, Monaco have already paid €425,000 in fines since appointing Sébastien Pocognoli, who lacks the required licence to coach in France.

Named head coach on 11 October to replace Adi Hütter, the Belgian does not hold the BEPF or a recognised equivalent. He is studying in Belgium and is expected to qualify at the end of the season. Domestic regulations set a €25,000 penalty for every Ligue 1 or Coupe de France match, while Champions League games are exempt.

In a bid to avoid the charge, Monaco considered listing assistant Damien Perrinelle as the head coach. Perrinelle, who also lacks the necessary diploma, was named on the team sheet for the Monaco 1-0 Toulouse match on 25 October.

The workaround failed, the fine applies regardless of which name appears as head coach. The idea was quickly dropped, and Monaco have since left the head coach line on match sheets blank.

Pocognoli has overseen 17 domestic fixtures, 14 in the league and 3 in the Coupe de France. The running total could reach €750,000 if he sees out the season. During October’s contract talks for the 38-year-old, the cost of the fines was discussed and reflected in his salary.

Source: L'Équipe