Disaster Index: 5.4 Entry: The Contingency Plan Cause: Steve Clarke confirms he always intended to leave if the World Cup went badly, retroactively classifying the new contract as a conditional agreement rather than a commitment. Category: Administrative Evidence: Clarke signed a new deal prior to the tournament. He told players of his departure at the team hotel in Charlotte on Saturday night. The decision is described as easy. It was, he says, always the plan. Historical precedent: The retrospective clarity of football management decisions is well-documented. Plans that were always there tend to become visible only after the outcome that activates them. Affected parties: Scotland Football Association, who funded the contingency. Players, who may or may not have known the terms. The supporter who took the new contract as a signal. Immediate outlook: The position is vacant. The record will wait for whoever fills it. Filed: 29 June 2026 / post-group-stage exit