Scotland manager Steve Clarke announced his departure in a deeply emotional open letter addressed directly to the Tartan Army faithful on Saturday night. The decision was made shortly after Croatias 2-1 victory over Ghana officially mathematically eliminated Scotland from capturing one of the remaining World Cup Round of 32 berths.Reflecting on a historic seven-year tenure that transformed the national teams fortunes, Clarke expressed immense pride in what they achieved together.When I took this job seven years ago, my ultimate dream was to restore our national pride and see Scotland competing regularly on the biggest stages in world football, Clarke wrote.To lead this country to its first World Cup since 1998, alongside back-to-back European Championships, has been the absolute privilege of my life.We have shared unforgettable nights, broken decades of heartbreak, and stood toe-to-toe with the very best. I want to thank every single member of the Tartan Army who traveled across the globe to be our twelfth man. Your passion, your noise, and your unwavering belief kept us going through every high and low.Turning his attention to the squad that broke Scotlands long-standing tournament droughts, Clarke was full of praise for his players.To the players, you have given absolutely everything for that badge. You deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honor to be called their Gaffer. You have set a new standard for Scottish football. Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor.Scotlands Group Stage campaign concluded on Thursday with a bruising 3-0 defeat to Brazil. The squad was then left sweating on other results for over 48 hours to see if they could sneak into the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed sides.The tournament had started with such promise when Scotland secured a 1-0 win over Haiti marking the mens national teams first victory at a World Cup finals since 1990. However, that narrow single-goal margin ultimately proved costly following subsequent defeats to Morocco and Brazil. Topics Scotland National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read World Cup 2026: Where to watch England and Scotland games on TV, full BBC and ITV listings, confirmed channels, schedule, live online streams, kick off times Ben Miller 28th June, 2026 He has the passion of a boy Ancelotti hails returning Neymar after Brazil stroll into last 32 of the World Cup Jon Fisher 25th June, 2026 Scotland 0-3 Brazil: Tartan Army left facing nervous wait after Vinicius double Nicholas McGee 25th June, 2026 WATCH: McKenna presents Vinicius with a gift as Brazil take lead against Scotland before VAR escape Nicholas McGee 24th June, 2026 LIVE Scotland v Brazil: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Tartan Army face five-time winners Jon Fisher 24th June, 2026 Scotland v Brazil: Confirmed line-ups as Clarkes men eye historic upset in Group C finale Nicholas McGee 24th June, 2026
