Steve McLaren quits as Jamaica head coach after Curaçao draw, saying the team need ‘new energy and different perspective’.
Steve McClaren quits as Jamaica head coach with path to World Cup still open.
Following a goalless draw with Curaçao, which destroyed the team’s chances of automatically qualifying for the World Cup and put them in the intercontinental playoffs in March, Steve McClaren resigned as head coach of Jamaica.
Curaçao became the smallest nation by population to earn a spot in the World Cup finals, and Jamaica, which required a victory, struck the woodwork three times in the second half. Despite being the favourites, McClaren’s team placed second in Group B of the Concacaf qualification round.
They still have a chance to qualify for the 48-team World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, but they will need to pass the Mexican playoffs, which provide two spots. The seeded teams are Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, and New Caledonia will follow.
“Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career but football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group,” McClaren, the 64-year-old former England manager, said.
“It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team. After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team.
“Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward.”