Ex-West Brom man costs Champions League club almost €1m in fines due to registration issue

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The former Baggies star is costing his club every time he heads out to the touchline

Monaco's Belgian head coach Sebastien Pocognoli reacts during the French L1 football match between AS Monaco and FC Nantes at the Stade Louis II in the Principality of Monaco on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)
AS Monaco are clocking up the fines due to their head coach (Image credit: Getty Images)

Like many players who reach the back end of their 30s, former West Bromwich Albion and Brighton defender Sebastien Pocognoli moved into the dugout after hanging up his boots in 2021.

The former Belgian international made more than 350 senior appearances as a player, which included a two-and-a-half year stint in England, initially signing for West Brom from Hannover 96 in July 2014 for a fee of £1.5 million.

Pocognoli’s costly appointment

Players of R. Union Saint-Gilloise applauds the fans following during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between R. Union Saint-Gilloise and Newcastle United FC at RSC Anderlecht Stadium on October 01, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.

Pocognoli led Union Saint-Gilloise to their first league title in 90 years last season (Image credit: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Pocognoli’s playing career ended with a season at Union SG during the 2020/21 campaign, after which the team hired him to coach their under-21s side.

Spells with Genk’s under-18s team and the Belgium under-18s national side then followed, with the former Baggies star earning his first senior head coach role when he returned to Union SG in 2024.

Monaco's Belgian head coach Sebastien Pocognoli gives a press conference on the eve of AS Monaco's Champions League KO play-offs first leg football match against Paris Saint-Germain in Monaco on February 16, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)

Pocognoli replaced Adi Hutter at Monaco (Image credit: Getty Images)

The 13-time Belgium international quickly vindicated Union SG’s faith as he led the team to their first league title for 90 years in his debut season as a manager and Pocognoli would soon find himself labelled as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches.

This put him on the radar of Ligue 1 side Monaco, who moved to appoint Pocognoli following the departure of Adi Hutter in October, who had endured a tough start ot the season and had won just one of their previous five matches.

Pocognoli left a Union SG side that was sitting at the top of the Belgian league, with the Monaco hierarchy also prepared to put their money where their mouth was when it came to their new man.

That’s because, according to French outlet L’Equipe, Pocognoli does not have the requisite qualification to coach in Ligue 1 and will therefore incur Monaco a €25,000 fine every time he coaches them.

French regulations dictate that a qualified coach must be named for any domestic league or cup match and failure to do so will see a fine issued. Pocognoli is currently studying for his professional coaching qualifications, but is not due to acquire them until the summer.

Monaco

Monaco endured a tough start to the season

This has meant Monaco have left the head coach position blank on official team sheets for the 17 games (14 league matches and three cup games) in which Pocognoli has presided over, which means the fines have so far clocked up to €425,000.

Should this continue for the rest of the season, Monaco will have been fined a total of €750,000 by the French authorities.

Monaco currently sit eighth in the Ligue 1 table, with Pocognoli having won four of the 14 league matches his side have played.

Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

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