McLeish tipped to leave
19 Nov 2007 - 12:06:02
Scottish Football Association chief Gordon Smith has admitted there is little he can do if national team boss Alex McLeish decides he wants to return to club management.
Reports in Scotland suggest the former Hibernian and Rangers manager will quit his role after watching his side lose 2-1 at home to Italy on Saturday and failing to qualify for next summer's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland.
Smith told the Daily Record: "If someone comes in for Alex and if he wants to go then there's not a great deal we can do about it.
"But he's under contract and so there would be the standard procedure of compensation to sort out before Alex is on his way.
"We hope that we don't have to go down that road. In fact, I'd hope to sit down with him soon and extend his contract.
"In the end, though, it all comes down to what Alex wants. He's the only person who can decide.
"He was looking forward to taking us to the European Championship finals, but now he has to lie dormant for nine months and I accept that might be an important factor in what he decides.
"As a consequence of doing so well in the qualification campaign we have to accept that big clubs will be showing an interest in our manager. We have to realise that he might well be a target.
"But before anything is decided I need to talk to him. I would like to think we can sit down and open discussions at some stage in the next few weeks."