Scottish FA Nears Appointment of Steve Clarke's Successor Ahead of Nations League
The Steve Clarke era is over. Its replacement is almost in the door.
The Scottish FA is closing in on the appointment of a new head coach, with talks now at an advanced stage as the search for Clarke’s successor moves towards a conclusion.
Clarke, who had signed a new four-year contract as recently as May, walked away in the wake of Scotland’s group-stage exit at this summer’s World Cup, drawing a line under a seven-year spell in charge. His departure has left a sizeable void at the top of the national team just as another demanding campaign approaches.
Time is not a luxury. Scotland’s next competitive chapter begins in the Nations League, with a four-game block starting away to Slovenia on 26 September. The new head coach is expected to be in place well before then, with planning for that window already pressing.
Chief executive Ian Maxwell and Craig Mulholland, appointed as the SFA’s chief football officer in May, are driving the recruitment process. The pair have cast the net wide, speaking to a broad range of candidates from the UK and overseas as they look for the right figure to reset the national side after the disappointment of the World Cup.
Interviews have been conducted and the governing body is now edging towards a decision. One key detail remains under wraps: whether the new appointment will be a Scot or a foreign coach. That question has animated supporters and pundits alike, but the SFA has kept a tight lid on names and shortlists.
Inside the camp, there is at least one familiar face expecting to stay. Steven Naismith, Clarke’s assistant during the World Cup and throughout the latter stages of his reign, said last month that he anticipates remaining part of the national team set-up under the new boss. His continued presence would offer a thread of continuity as a new regime takes shape.
Scotland’s World Cup exit brought a painful end to a story that had promised more, and Clarke himself described his decision to stand down as an easy one once the dust settled. The next head coach inherits a squad that has tasted major tournament football but fallen short on the biggest stage.
The appointment now looming will decide whether that experience becomes a platform or a ceiling.
