Scots eye Strachan as Levein axed
Levein finally paid the price for Scotland’s dismal start to their World Cup qualifying campaign after being “relieved of his duties” as national team manager.
But the former Dundee United and Hearts manager will continue to receive his wages after the Scottish Football Association (SFA) agreed to honour the remaining 20 months of his contract.
Levein was removed from his role four days after the seven-man SFA board first met to discuss his position and Scotland U21 head coach Billy Stark was handed temporary charge of the team for next Wednesday’s friendly in Luxembourg.
Levein had been due to name his squad for the away game today but Stark will be given extra time to formulate his plans and the SFA board will meet to discuss the process of appointing a permanent successor after the fixture.
Strachan, who was interviewed for the role before Walter Smith took over in January 2005, emerged as the initial favourite but an appointment could take some time.
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan made the announcement with “real sadness” as he praised Levein’s role in formulating a performance strategy designed to improve the long-term prospects of the national team.
The continuing need to pay Levein will naturally take money away from those very plans but Regan admitted the board made the “collective decision” that change was needed as results were not good enough.
Speaking moments after the official announcement was made, Regan said: “There are a number of factors but what was discussed in the board meeting needs to stay private.
“However, we are bottom of the group with two points from four games. We are eight points behind the leaders. The view of the board is we are not bottom-of-the-group material, we are better than that.
“We need to have a new manager to turn around the campaign and move us forward. We are in a results-driven business and Craig has been the first to admit that.’’
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