Unsportsmanlike behavior, violations of financial rules, and excessive pyro shows by their own fans - many top clubs have to dig deeper into their pockets for fines more often than they would like.
However, it is currently particularly expensive for the French first division club AS Monaco. It's about the head coach, but not about his salary, quite the opposite: Because Sébastien Pocognoli has been on the sidelines week after week since October 2025, the club has to pay up.
The reason: Pocognoli does not yet have a professional coaching license. He is still in training and is expected to obtain the license in the summer.
This violates the regulations of French football, as a properly licensed head coach must be named for every national league or cup match. Therefore, according to a report by ‘L’Équipe’, Monaco has to pay a fine of 25,000 euros per game with him on the sidelines.
Particularly curious: The club was well aware that this fine would come their way and apparently found a solution. Damien Perrinelle, Pocognoli's assistant coach, was supposed to be formally listed on the match report. He received a salary increase for this and was listed as the head coach in the match against Toulouse in October.
However, this did not protect Monaco from the hefty fine. It turned out that he also does not have the necessary license. Since then, according to the report, the position of head coach remains unfilled on the official match sheets.
Adding up all of Pocognoli's appearances as coach in national competitive matches, the current total is 17, which amounts to 425,000 euros in fines. If he stays until the end of the season, this sum would rise to 750,000 euros.
📸 VALERY HACHE - AFP or licensors
But if AS Monaco is spending so much money, then the 38-year-old must be worth it, right? Think again. In Ligue 1, the team has only won four matches under his leadership and is languishing in tenth place in the standings.
Many fans are already wondering what prompts the club not only to accept the hefty penalty payments for him but also to be content with the mediocre league position.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.