Steve Clarke Resigns as Scotland Head Coach After World Cup Exit

Steve Clarke has stepped down as head coach of the Scotland national football team following their elimination from the World Cup. The announcement came shortly after Croatia's victory over Ghana, which officially sealed Scotland's fate in the tournament.

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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 informed the players of his decision while the squad was still based in Charlotte. During his tenure, Scotland achieved qualification for two European Championships and, significantly, reached the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. Clarke had taken over the coaching role seven years ago.

Despite the success in reaching major finals, Scotland's performances in these tournaments were largely disappointing. Their only victory across the finals came in their opening match against Haiti. In their recent World Cup campaign, Scotland lost to Morocco and Brazil, and their hopes of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams were dashed by defensive errors in their match against Brazil.

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They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be called their Gaffer.

In his farewell letter to supporters, Clarke expressed his gratitude to the players, stating it was an honor to be their "Gaffer." He wished his successor good luck. The Scottish FA is expected to announce a replacement in due course.

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Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor.