STEWART Regan revealed the SFA was looking for a new manager who can give youth a chance after deciding Gordon Strachan’s time was up.
Malky Mackay, SFA performance director, has been placed in interim charge of Scotland for a friendly against Holland at Pittodrie on November 9.
The SFA will firm up recruitment plans next week but chief executive Regan will lead the panel and insisted nationality and finance were no barriers.
The SFA board decided on Thursday to end Strachan’s reign after a 2-2 draw in Slovenia saw Scotland miss out on the World Cup play-offs.
Regan said: “When the board met to discuss Gordon’s position after the defeats to England and Slovakia, we backed the manager, but we backed the manager on the proviso that we made the play-offs.
“We didn’t reach the play-offs, we had had a second unsuccessful campaign, and we felt it was time for a new coach to give us a new impetus with emerging talent coming through the Scottish game and give us a real chance to make Euro 2020.
“It’s about bringing in a new coach with new ideas, new initiatives, a coach who can actually bring forward emerging talent, and try and actually take us to a major championship.”
Regan said Strachan had not signalled whether he wanted to continue during a lengthy meeting on Monday.
“Gordon was very keen for the board to set out what we would like him to do next,” he said. “It was more about the board having the chance to discuss the campaign and decide what we wanted to do, and I shared that with him.”
Mackay was a controversial appointment as performance director last December after being the subject of an 11-month probe into text messages sent during his time as Cardiff manager, though he was never charged with an offence.
Regan gave little away on whether Mackay would be involved in the recruitment process or a candidate himself. He said: “Malky’s the performance director. He has got a big job to do and a number of challenges that he is working on at the moment.
“To be fair to Malky, he has responded to the board’s request. We asked him to take the team in Aberdeen and he was delighted to do so. As far as he is concerned, he will then focus on his performance responsibilities.”
Regan, who will lead the recruitment campaign with as-yet-unspecified SFA board colleagues, insisted there would be no constraints on choosing candidates.
“The opportunity will be open to candidates right across the world,” he said. “We are looking for the best person for this opportunity and we will cast the net as far and wide as we have to. Nationality is irrelevant.”
Regan said the board had not discussed potential salary packages or whether they would approach a manager in current employment, but he insisted the SFA had the financial muscle to attract a suitable candidate.
“We believe we will be able to compete to get the best person for this job,” he said. “We are determined to have the right coach in place to lead Scotland to the European Championship in 2020.”
David Moyes would be “happy to talk” to the SFA about the manager’s job but says a club job remains his preference.
Moyes, who left Sunderland in May, is among the front-runners for the role and the former Manchester United and Everton boss, has cautiously welcomed contact.
He said: “My first choice would be to go back to club management but if Scotland want to talk I’d be happy to speak to them to see what they have to say.”
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