For the fourth time in as many seasons, Belgian league champions Union Saint-Gilloise have had to contend with a premature managerial departure.
Just months after leading the Brussels outfit to the Belgian league title in his first season in charge back in May, Sébastien Pocognoli left for French Ligue 1 club Monaco last week. The former Belgian international's move to the principality was officially announced on Sunday, with his team of assistant coaches (including former Everton forward Kévin Mirallas) also joining him on the Côte d'Azur.
The Unionistes wasted no time in appointing a replacement. On Monday morning, OH Leuven coach David Hubert was unveiled as the reigning champions’ new head coach, having signed a two-year contract with the Pro League leaders. He took charge of his first training session later in the evening.
The 37-year-old, who spent the majority of his playing career as a defensive midfielder in Belgium’s top flight, began his managerial career last season when he took charge of Anderlecht’s senior team. The Brussels-born coach was dismissed in March, after the team's fourth-place finish during the regular season, bringing an end to his first stint in top-flight management. Under Hubert, Leuven have only won two of their ten matches this season, and are currently languishing in second-to-last place.
"It was unexpected, but we have to be ready when something like this happens", club CEO Philippe Bormans told journalists at the training ground on Monday. "We had a shortlist of about 17 coaches, which we quickly cut down to three. We met all of them, and concluded that David was the ideal choice."
David Hubert takes charge of his first training session as USG Head Coach. Credit: Raphaël Jucobin/The Brussels Times
Union Saint-Gilloise's Sporting Director Chris O'Loughlin, was also watching on as Hubert took charge of his first session with the squad. "David is someone who matches the environment and who we are and what we've been doing for the last few years," he explained.
"We have a structure which is important to us, and he can put his own accent on it. We think that the players are a good match for what he wants, and I also think it's good to be giving a Belgian coach the opportunity. We carried out a full analysis of his time at Anderlecht and Leuven, and we're very excited to welcome him to the club."
Hubert himself spoke to the press at the end of the training session. "It's definitely a challenge. This club has been developing and growing over the last few years," the former Belgian international recognised. "I'm here to help the club take those next steps. The club's status changed this summer. Union are now the reigning champions, so we're seen in a different light when we play in Belgium and abroad. It's up to us to take up those challenges."
"A lot is already in place here, I'm not here to shake things up," Hubert continued. "There are a lot of similarities between how I see the game and Union's philosophy. It's also up to me to integrate, there are a lot of great things here to develop and I'll look to add what I can."
Rik De Mil, the head coach of Charleroi (incidentally, USG’s next league opponent), was initially reported to be the favourite to take over at the Stade Joseph Marien. The Wallonian club’s president Mehdi Bayat, though, dismissed the possibility of letting his manager leave mid-season while speaking to Flemish outlet Nieuwsblad.
Pocognoli's departure has come in the midst of the Brussels club’s first dip in form in a while, having conceded defeat to both Newcastle and Club Brugge before the international break.
The Unionistes remain top of the league, but the manager's successor finds himself under immediate pressure to inspire a return to winning ways. In the Champions League, high-profile fixtures against Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, and Marseille lie on the horizon.
