Scotland’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment after failing to advance from Group C. The Scots began with a 1-0 win over Haiti, but defeats of 1-0 to Morocco and 3-0 to Brazil ended their hopes of progressing as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Results elsewhere left Scotland finishing 11th of the 12 third-placed sides at the group stage.
Steve Clarke, who took charge in 2019 following spells at Kilmarnock, Reading and West Bromwich Albion, has stepped down. Under Clarke, Scotland ended a 23-year wait to qualify for a major tournament, though the team lost twice at the group stage in all three competitions he led them to — Euro 2024, the 2026 World Cup, and a previous tournament — picking up just one win across the three, the 1-0 victory over Haiti earlier this month.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell, speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Scotland squad were based, described the mood as one of grief. “The overriding reaction at the moment is one of sadness,” he said. “We’re sad that the World Cup journey’s over. We’re sad that we weren’t able to achieve what we wanted to do and obviously we’re sad that our most successful head coach has decided to step down.”
Maxwell confirmed he had already received messages from candidates interested in the role and said no options would be ruled out. “Nothing’s off the table. We need to cast the net as far and wide as we can. It’s about getting the right coach, it’s not about necessarily where they come from,” he said. Scotland’s next fixtures are Nations League games against North Macedonia, Slovenia and Switzerland in the autumn, with Maxwell acknowledging the September schedule adds urgency to the process.
The chief executive insisted Scotland represent an appealing opportunity for the right candidate, pointing to the co-hosted Euro 2028 on the horizon. “We’ve got a Euros that we’re co-hosting in 2028 to look forward to,” Maxwell said. “There’s been a lot of success over the last few years and we need to make sure that we appoint someone that can improve on that and continue to drive us forward.” He stopped short of setting a firm timeline, saying it was “really, really difficult to put dates on it” but that an appointment would be made “as soon as we can”.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
