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Steve Clarke leaves after World Cup exit – Where he ranks among Scotland’s best managers
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Steve Clarke has stepped down as Scotland head coach after seven years in the job. The Scot’s departure was announced less than an hour after the Tartan Army’s elimination from the World Cup was mathematically confirmed, following results from Saturday night’s fixtures.
The 62-year-old concluded his reign with a record of 1.58 points per game from his 81 matches in charge, winning 38 out of 81 games. He had signed a new contract in May to take the team into the 2030 World Cup if they qualified, but their disappointing World Cup performance convinced him to step aside.
A 3-0 defeat by Brazil in their final group game, which spelled the end of their World Cup journey, was also his last game at the helm as they finished with three points from as many games. Scotland were left relying on results from other games to progress in the third-place table, where eight of the 12 teams would qualify for the round of 32.
However, as the games played out across the weekend, Scotland fell from seventh to 10th in the table and missed out on the next round as a result. It marks a disappointing end to Clarke's tenure, having led the country to back-to-back European Championships and their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.
As he departs, only Ian McColl, Tommy Docherty, Willie Ormond, Gordon Strachan and Craig Brown boast better points-per-game records as Scotland manager than Clarke. No manager has taken charge of more games than the former Kilmarnock boss' 81, with Brown next on 70. Everton boss David Moyes has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace him at the helm.
'Bye Bye Scotland'
Clarke, who was still at the team's base in North Carolina, penned an emotional farewell message to the Scotland fans in a letter titled 'Bye Bye Scotland'. "When I was first approached by the Scottish FA about the position of head coach, I was advised by many people to leave well alone as the job had become a poisoned chalice," he wrote.
"In my head I was just the wee boy from Saltcoats who had done well in his chosen profession and my country wanted me to be their leader, at least in a football sense. I couldn't find a reason to turn the approach down. My job remit was simple: qualify for a major tournament. As I reflect on my seven years in the job, my overriding emotion is pride, closely followed by satisfaction.
Reflecting on the World Cup, he said: "With no Covid restrictions this time the Tartan Army made sure they were there in even greater numbers than ever before – after all, it was a 26-year wait for the older members of the battalion. Again we came up short in the matches but a marker had been set and a new generation of Scotland supporters took my squad to their hearts.
"Qualify – and they will come in their thousands. While emotions are raw following our elimination, I genuinely believe that if we continue to qualify regularly for these tournaments we will inevitably break the glass ceiling of reaching the knockout phase.
"From Miami to Boston and New Jersey our fans won the hearts and minds of the American public and football fans across the world. Let us not forget that the players won a World Cup finals match for only the fifth time in Scottish football history, and the first in 36 years. The team were responsible for giving everyone the chance to create memories that will last a lifetime and I am proud to have played a part in that."
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