After seven years at the helm, Steve Clarke resigns from being the Scotland head coach, as the Tartan Army bowed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Scotland’s World Cup fate was sealed after last night’s results, as Croatia sealed the win against Ghana, which has pushed the Black Stars into qualifying for the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams at the expense of the Scots.
In their first World Cup since 1998, Steve Clarke guided Scotland to a win in their opening group match, as they beat Haiti 1-0 to get off to a fantastic start.
However, losses to Morocco and Brazil saw the Tartan Army drop from first in the group to third, and their fate of qualifying for the Round of 32 was out of their hands.
Steve Clarke resigns after a great seven-year spell with the Tartan Army, after achieving emotional qualification for the European Championships and the World Cup.
Steve Clarke Resigns: Scotland’s Longest-Serving Head Coach Steps Down
The Tartan Army well and truly had the good times come back as they were guided back into major tournaments once more under the stewardship of Steve Clarke.
Whilst the Scots have endured some difficult times since the turn of the millennium, the 62-year-old Scotsman was able to help his side qualify for three major tournaments during his time as head coach.
Missing out on only the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Steve Clarke picked up the most wins of any Scotland head coach, beating the number set by Craig Brown in the early 2000s.
He also became the longest-serving head coach in terms of games, as during seven years, the 62-year-old managed 81 games for the Tartan Army.
In May 2019, Steve Clarke was appointed the Scotland head coach and was tasked to ensure the Scots would qualify for the 2020 European Championships.
On his Scotland managerial debut, the Tartan Army beat Cyprus 2-1 in UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying, but losses to Belgium and Russia ended their dream of automatically qualifying for the tournament.
However, the hope of making the Euros was not over, as their UEFA Nations League finish gave them a slight chance of still making the tournament that was held in 11 different host cities.
With a clash against Serbia set up for a chance of making UEFA Euro 2020, the Tartan Army won 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw to qualify for their first major tournament since 1998.
In the 2020 tournament, the Scots finished bottom of the group and were eliminated. They managed to earn a draw against England, but losses to Croatia and the Czech Republic shot any hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Steve Clarke Resigns: Qualifying Is One Thing, But Performing On The Big Stage Is Another
The most impressive Scotland head coach in a long time, Steve Clarke guided the Tartan Army through tough times and back into the spotlight on the world stage.
However, with qualifying impressively for the major tournaments, the actual performances in the Euros and World Cup have been sub-par to say the least.
One win, two draws and six losses from the nine games across the three major tournaments have seen Scotland grouped in all of the competitions.
With that being said, Scotland has come up against some tough opposition, and in most of the games, they were deemed the underdog. Their only win in those three tournaments was against Haiti in this year’s World Cup, the Tartan Army’s first victory in a major tournament since Euro 1996.
In a heartfelt statement, the Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell gave plenty of praise to the great Scotland head coach.
He said:
“While we are all disappointed to have exited the World Cup at the group stage, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress made during Steve’s seven years in charge,” said Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell.
“From starting as a pot four team in 2019 to topping our World Cup qualifying group, he has more than delivered on the remit to take Scotland back to a major tournament.
“We thank Steve for his record-breaking contribution and know that when the disappointment of World Cup elimination subsides, the Scotland supporters will be thankful for the memories of marching with pride at major tournaments once again.”
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Steve Clarke Resigns: Who Next?
After the Scottish FA handed Steve Clarke a four-year extension only a month ago, they have a tough task on their hands to replace such a brilliant Scotland head coach.
The shortlist is slowly starting to be created, and there are some names that Scotland fans will know pretty well.
The likes of Steven Naismith, Scot Gemmill, John McGlynn, Darren Fletcher and Ange Postecoglou are among just a few who are lined up for the Scotland head coach job.
With the first two names known very well by the Scottish FA, with Naismith part of Steve Clarke’s coaching staff and Gemmill the Scotland under-21 head coach, these two names could be high on the priority list for an interim spell.
A left-field option would be Postecoglou, who won the hearts of many Scottish fans following his stint at Celtic, but the last time the Tartan Army had a head coach from a different country, they endured a dismal two years as Berti Vogts managed only nine wins from 32 matches.
While the process of finding the new Scotland head coach will be a long and strenuous one, the Scottish FA have to get it right, especially after making their return back onto the world stage.
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