Edinburgh – National coach Gordon Strachan and the Scottish Football Association have parted ways after failing in World Cup qualification. The 60-year-old, himself one of the best players in Scottish football history, took over in January 2013. On Sunday, the Scots missed their last chance in the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a 2-2 win over Slovenia.

“On my first day as national coach, which was the proudest of my life, I said I wanted to give the fans smiles back,” Strachan said as a farewell. For him too, the end of World Cup qualification was “a deep disappointment”, but: “We experienced magical moments.”

The assistant also leaves the coaching team

Preparations for the European Football Association’s (UEFA) Nations League, which is played for the first time, and elimination for Euro 2020 will be done by another coach. Strachan’s assistant, former HSV professional Mark McGhee, will also have to leave.

Strachan had wonderfully explained the failure on the way to Russia. “We are genetically behind. In the last big tournament we were second shortest behind Spain,” he said: “Maybe we should bring tall women and tall men together and then see what can be done.” Scots last participated in the 1998 World Cup in France.

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