The SFA could bring about redundancies at Hampden as former Watford and Norwich City boss Malky MacKay is said to have his job at risk.
Scottish football’s governing body is expected to make a loss of £4.5 million as games take place behind closed doors during the pandemic, the former Watford man’s role as national performance director widely reported as under threat.
Mackay took over as performance director almost four years ago, following managerial stints at Wigan, Cardiff City and Watford.
Chief executive Ian Maxwell has confirmed that a restructuring process may get started. The SFA have applied for a loan of £5 million through the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption scheme.
But cuts are still going to be made and staff were informed this week of the news. The ruling body has been hit hard by the lack of fans at stadiums, missing out on revenue from three huge Scotland matches at Hampden.
Scottish Cup semi-finals also took place without supporters and the final in December will too. Restrictions particularly in the central belt means it will be a long time before fans return in sizeable numbers to Hampden.
The chief executive said in a statement: “The impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt throughout Scottish football and, based on the First Minister’s introduction of a five-tier system, restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
“Scottish football has no immunity to the virus and this applies to the governing body as it does to our member clubs. In recent months the Scottish FA has endured a significant loss of revenue due, in the main, to international and Scottish Cup matches being played behind closed doors.
“Our projected budget for 2021 highlights a projected shortfall in the region of £4.5million that needs to be addressed. We have successfully secured a £5m loan, the maximum available, via the UK Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and while this loan has helped absorb the losses sustained, nonetheless a loan is by definition repayable.
“Over several months the Scottish FA main board and senior management team have developed a new strategic plan for the governing body to lead the national game over the next decade.
“One of the key outcomes of the process is an acknowledgement that that Scottish FA must operate more efficiently and economically in order to fulfil its broad duties to the game from grassroots to Scotland’s national teams.
“While this need for refocusing and reprioritising was identified as a strategic challenge, it has been reinforced by the ongoing financial uncertainty caused by COVID-19, and the inability to forecast the return of supporters in significant numbers for the foreseeable future.
“We have announced to our staff that we are considering restructuring across the organisation which could lead to redundancies in order to future-proof the national association for the challenges ahead on and off the field.
“While this is hugely regrettable, it is the only way to safeguard the founding principle of the Scottish FA to protect our national game. We understand how difficult a situation this will be for our staff and we endeavour to undertake this process with due consideration and empathy throughout this unsettling time.”