Steve Clarke has come under fire from Scotland supporters after his emotional farewell letter described his side's goalless draw with England at Euro 2020 as a "0-0 win".
The 62-year-old announced his resignation as Scotland manager on Saturday following the country's World Cup exit, despite having signed a new four-year contract only last month.
Clarke said he had undergone a change of heart after Scotland's elimination and felt it was the right time to step aside after seven years in charge.
In a lengthy farewell message reflecting on his tenure, Clarke spoke proudly about ending Scotland's long wait for major tournaments and reconnecting the national team with its supporters.
But one passage quickly attracted attention online.
Reflecting on Euro 2020, he wrote: "Although the tournament was, for us at least, a bit of a damp squib, there was an unforgettable night at Wembley when we more than matched the eventual beaten finalists England and held them to a 0-0 win!"
The match famously finished goalless, with Scotland earning a point against their oldest rivals, but several supporters seized on Clarke's wording.
One fan wrote: "Steve Clarke trolling a nation and I don't mean England."
Steve Clarke has come under fire from Scotland supporters after his emotional farewell letter described his side's goalless draw with England at Euro 2020 as a "0-0 win"
|GETTY
Bye-bye Scotland.
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 27, 2026
A letter from the Gaffer.
Another said: "I genuinely thought that passage was a wind up until I went and read the full statement."
A third mocked: "0-0 win! DVDs and downloads about it! Basically independent after that!"
Another supporter added: "Sums it up. Celebrating a 0-0 draw against England at the Euros. Embarrassing. Good riddance."
A fifth wrote: "No chance has our actual national team manager wrote about a 0-0 win against England. Painfully embarrassing."
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Every team to have won the World Cup | GETTY/GB NEWSThe criticism came despite Clarke's letter focusing primarily on the achievements of his seven-year spell in charge.
Recalling his appointment in 2019, he revealed he had been warned against taking what many considered a "poisoned chalice".
"When I was first approached by the Scottish FA about the position of head coach, I was advised by many people to leave well alone as the job had become a poisoned chalice," he wrote.
"I couldn't find a reason to turn the approach down. My job remit was simple: qualify for a major tournament."
Clarke went on to reflect on leading Scotland back to the European Championship for the first time since 1996 before guiding the national side to this summer's World Cup, ending a 28-year absence from football's biggest tournament.
He described the dramatic penalty shootout victory over Serbia in Belgrade as "the stuff of dreams" and insisted the bond rebuilt between the Scotland team and the Tartan Army was among his proudest achievements.
Scotland's final World Cup game ended in a dire 3-0 defeat to Brazil | PAClarke also pointed to Scotland's World Cup campaign, noting that victory over Haiti represented the country's first win at the tournament in 36 years and only the fifth in their history.
The Scottish FA confirmed Clarke's resignation shortly after Croatia's victory over Ghana ended Scotland's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.
Although he had only signed a contract extension a month earlier, Clarke decided the time was right to move on.
Ange Postecoglou and David Moyes are believed to be under consideration behind the scenes.