Disaster Index: 5.1 Entry: The Departure Is Now in the Record Cause: Steve Clarke's exit as Scotland head coach, formalised and charted, creates the structural vacancy that post-tournament campaigns must now answer. Category: Structural / Historical Evidence: Clarke's tenure ends having delivered Scotland's first World Cup qualification in 28 years. The BBC timeline confirms the sequence: new deal, then the tournament, then the sudden exit. The appointment that ends is the one that produced the result. Historical precedent: Scotland has managed the post-qualification vacancy before. It has not always managed what follows. Affected parties: Scottish Football Association, squad continuity, the next qualification cycle. Immediate outlook: The achievement is filed. The gap it leaves is also filed. Both belong in the record. Filed: 28 June 2026 / post-tournament structural