Perception and Reality

David Hubert and Union Saint Gilloise

On Monday 13th October, champions Union Saint-Gilloise confirmed the appointment of David Hubert as their new T1, following the departure of Sebastien Pocognoli to AS Monaco. It was a choice that it would be fair to say surprised quite a few. Football is beautiful and strange, and sometimes there is a gap between external perceptions and internal realities.

USG President Alex Muzio and David Hubert: Image copyright: USG

“You can’t counter perception, but you shouldn’t dwell too much on it either.”

David Hubert - USG T1

This appointment is all about profile (particularly the things that people often can’t see from an external standpoint). USG have chosen a young and ambitious Belgian coach who is not only familiar with the Pro League and the division below, The Challenger Pro League but also the wider footballing culture in Belgium, in particular the strategic importance of high-quality youth development and player pathways. If this is your essential criterion and starting point, then the list cannot actually be that big. David Hubert is one such coach, despite his mixed fortunes as a coach. (It is worth bearing in mind that Hubert actually has more coaching experience than Pocognoli, so the broader context here does matter).

Hubert now finds himself at a club that thinks and plans long-term; this means that data is important, but so is looking beyond the numbers. There will undoubtedly be a confidence internally that the club can successfully integrate Hubert into operations. Don’t lose sight of the objective – to find a coach who can first and foremost fit the club’s philosophy and operational methods.

The external perception of Hubert is seen to be mixed by many. The 37-year began his coaching career at Anderlecht in 2023, working alongside current SK Beveren T1 Marink Reedijk and the Anderlecht Futures squad, before taking on responsibility for the U18s (there is that serious background in youth development at a top academy). Opportunities sometimes present themselves to you unexpectedly in football, and Hubert was thrust into becoming the temporary T1 of Anderlecht’s senior squad when Brian Riemer was sacked in September 2024. This period was considered successful enough for Hubert to be named as Anderlecht’s permanent T1 in October 2024. Many would argue the Hubert’s 38 game spell wih the senior squad was mixed; despite reaching a Belgian Cup Final, which Hubert would never see, due to losing his position in March 2025, after not securing enough consistency with the Mauves. The whole experience certainly didn’t dent Hubert’s ambition and will to continue developing himself, and in July 2025 he returned to frontline coaching as T1 at Leuven, where his short period overseeing only 10 matches has been underwhelming. In truth, Leuven has not been having a good season up to this point (there are a multitude of factors behind this). The perception externally is that Union have appointed a coach who has been underwhelming and not able to impact matches in an effective manner…but Union Saint-Gilloise is no ordinary football club, and the footballing operations team at the club can see through, around and above this. Simply put, they see serious potential in Hubert, and nobody can deny that he has better staff and support in place at USG at his disposal than at either Anderlecht or Leuven.

Hubert now finds himself in an environment where the style of play is long established and the recruitment takes place within a defined and tested framework that has seen significant success over the past 5 years or so. There is a settled and embedded approach to operations, and that includes tactics at the club.

Philippe Bormans - USG CEO - Image Copyright: Sporza

“We didn’t rush into this; we have found a suitable match. David fits the club; we believe we have found somebody who embodies our values. David is very driven and young and wants to learn and progress.”

Philippe Bormans, USG CEO

Details and planning matter at a club like Union Saint-Gilloise; it goes a long way to explaining their consistent success and growth in recent years. It is a club that takes calculated and informed risks in its decision-making. It allows room and time for growth in a way that other clubs in Belgium can’t and don’t because they have different systems in place and a faith in their internal strategies and structures in place to achieve this.

“We’re always prepared at any moment. David was very high on our list. We were looking for someone who fits our values, our style of play, and our quality standards. David fits all three.”

Alex Muzio - USG President

So this appointment is about those things that people find difficult to quantify from the outside. Vision requires people to think strategically and bravely, and that’s exactly what’s happened here.

Chris O’Loughlin - USG Sporting Director - Image Copyright: L’Avenir

“We’ve looked beyond the perception. We’ve studied his periods at Anderlecht and Leuven in great detail.”

Chris O’Loughlin - USG, Sporting Director

Many questioned the arrival of Hubert’s predecessor, Sebastien Pocognoli, when he was appointed, and indeed he did have a somewhat rocky start; however, he was given the time to continue working in a way that would not have been afforded him by other clubs, and it ultimately brought out the best in him, with the added addition of following and applying the data insights, and the ultimate reward was USG’s first national Belgian title in 90 years.

Trust the people. Trust the preparation. Trust the process.