Scottish FA Nears Decision on New Head Coach Ahead of Nations League
The clock is ticking on Scotland’s next era.
The Scottish FA is in the final stages of appointing a new head coach to replace Steve Clarke, with the first competitive games of the post-Clarke period less than two months away.
Clarke walked away this summer after Scotland’s World Cup group-stage exit, drawing a line under a seven-year spell that had reshaped expectations and taken the national team back to major tournaments. He had only signed a new four-year contract in May, but chose to resign in the wake of a disappointing campaign on the biggest stage.
Now the search for the next man in the dugout is almost done.
Short runway to Slovenia
Scotland return to action in the Nations League with a demanding four-game block, starting away to Slovenia on 26 September. The new coach will have precious little time: a squad to pick, a staff to finalise, and a team to re-energise after a bruising summer.
The process is being driven by chief executive Ian Maxwell and Craig Mulholland, the former Rangers academy director who became the SFA’s chief football officer in May. Between them, they have cast the net wide.
They have spoken to a broad range of candidates from across the UK and overseas, testing both domestic knowledge and outside ideas. Interviews have already taken place and the governing body is now closing in on its choice.
One key detail remains under wraps: whether the new head coach will be a Scot or a foreign appointment. For now, the SFA is keeping that card close to its chest.
Naismith expects to stay in the set-up
Inside the camp, one familiar face is planning to remain.
Steven Naismith, who worked as Clarke’s assistant, said last month he expects to continue in the national team structure under the incoming boss. His presence would offer a thread of continuity from the previous regime, both in terms of dressing-room relationships and an understanding of the group’s recent journey.
That journey has stalled, but it has not ended. The Nations League fixtures will give the new head coach an immediate test and a clear stage.
Scotland’s next leader is almost in the building. The real question is what kind of Scotland they will inherit – and what kind they dare to create.
