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Steve Clarke has stepped down as Scotland head coach, the Scottish Football Association announced on Friday, following the team's official elimination from the FIFA World Cup.
The 62-year-old brings an end to a seven-year spell in charge, during which he guided Scotland to their first men's FIFA World Cup in 28 years, as well as securing back-to-back UEFA European Championship qualifications. "The country's most successful national coach has called time on his seven years in charge following confirmation of Scotland's exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup," the Scottish FA said in a statement as per Reuters. Scotland, making their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 28 years, finished third in Group C but failed to rank among the tournament's eight best third-placed teams, ending their campaign before the knockout stage. They faced Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in the group. In May, Clarke signed a new contract to remain in charge until the 2030 FIFA World Cup and was also set to lead Scotland at UEFA Euro 2028, which will be jointly hosted by Britain and Ireland. "The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now," Clarke said. "They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive, and it was truly an honour to be called their Gaffer. Thanks for having me, and good luck to my successor," he added. (ANI)
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