West Brom former defender on verge of winning major European title as manager
West Brom supporters will be keenly following the conclusion to the Belgian Pro League in the next few days.
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise are one of the most successful clubs in Belgian history but have not won the league title since 1935, a similar drought to West Brom.
Les Unionistes have come close on several occasions in recent years but have their best chance to end that hoodoo, with a four-point lead and one match to play, although Club Brugge have a game in hand.
Sebastien Pocognoli could secure historic achievement
The Brussels-based outfit are managed by Sebastien Pocognoli, who played for The Hawthorns outfit from 2014-2017.
The ex-Baggie needs just one win – or Brugge to drop points – to secure his name in the history books of the Old Lady and the wider footballing world.
He will have a keen eye on the Blauw-Zwart’s clash with Anderlecht (18 May), which kicks off at 12:30 GMT in the UK.
Pocognoli enjoys a remarkable rise since West Brom days
Alan Irvine brought Pocognoli to the Black Country in 2014 for a fee of £1.5million but he left having made just 21 appearances.
The 37-year-old was a likeable character and always gave his all for the shirt but departed as he could not force his way into the team but he is far from a West Brom legend.
| Stats (All competitions) | Pocognoli |
| Matches | 21 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Minutes played | 1,698 |
He retired from playing in 2021 after a short stint with the club that he now manages and coached in the youth ranks with them, before moving to a role with Genk Under-18s and then the Belgium Under-18 national team.
He returned to Union in July 2024 to take over from Alexander Blessin in his first senior managerial role, who has been linked with the vacancy in the West Midlands recently, after he left for St. Pauli.
The Belgian outfit have challenged for the league title in the past three seasons but it is still a huge achievement for the ex-Albion ace.
He may end up being linked with his former club after he tastes success, barring a major collapse, but it is unlikely that he would take the role given the trajectory that his current club are on and the fact that Albion are languishing in the Championship.