Clarke exits as Scotland boss after World Cup group stage elimination

After seven years of quietly rebuilding a footballing nation's sense of possibility, Steve Clarke stepped away from the Scotland head coach role on Saturday, his resignation arriving within moments of the World Cup exit being confirmed in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had brought Scotland back to the world's stage after a twenty-eight-year absence — a genuine act of restoration — yet the tournaments themselves remained elusive, the team winning only once across three major competitions. Clarke leaves having fulfilled the harder half of the task: getting there. The easier half, thriving once ar