McLeish resigns as Scotland coach
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Alex McLeish resigned as Scotland’s national team coach on Tuesday, clearing the way for him to become the manager of English Premier League club Birmingham.
Birmingham scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning when McLeish’s appointment is expected to be announced.
The Scottish Football Association has also scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday after earlier refusing permission for McLeish to talk to an unnamed club, now known to be Birmingham.
However, the 48-year-old has forced the SFA’s hand by quitting despite having a contract running until the end of Scotland’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
I am disappointed that Alex has chosen this course of action, Scottish Football Association president George Peat said. He is an outstanding manager who has done a fantastic job with the national team.
Birmingham want McLeish to replace manager Steve Bruce, who joined fellow strugglers Wigan last week.
Bruce’s former assistant Eric Black also left St Andrews on Tuesday, having briefly taken over as caretaker manager, and will join the ex-England defender at Wigan.
Black, who had been at Birmingham since July 2004, leaves with the best wishes of everybody at the club, City said in a statement.
McLeish nearly guided the Scots to qualification for the 2008 European Championship after beating France twice, but missed out after a last-minute 2-1 defeat to world champions Italy.
McLeish, who played at international level for Scotland during a successful career with Aberdeen, led Rangers to two league titles and five cup victories in five years at the Glasgow club.
He took over as Scotland manager at the end of January after his predecessor Walter Smith returned to Rangers to replace the sacked Paul Le Guen.
Meanwhile, McLeish’s fellow-Scot David Moyes was charged by the English FA on Tuesday for criticizing the match referee following his Everton team’s loss to local rivals Liverpool last month.
Moyes blasted Mark Clattenburg following the 2-1 Premier League defeat at Goodison Park on October 20 after the official sent off Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville for conceding second-half penalties.
Moyes was also angry that Clattenburg did not award Everton a late penalty when Jamie Carragher appeared to foul Joleon Lescott in the box, and that Dirk Kuyt only a got a yellow card for a two-footed lunge at Neville.
It is alleged that his comments called into question Mr. Clattenburg’s integrity and/or implied that he was motivated by bias, the FA said.
Moyes has until December 11 to respond to the charge.
Clattenburg was also at the center of an incident which saw Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson charged by the FA on Monday.
Ferguson confronted the referee at half-time during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Bolton after being upset by heavy tackles from the home side that went unpunished.
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