Now that Scotland manager Steve Clarke has successfully guided the team to back-to-back European Championship appearances for the first time since 1996, his next goal is to lead them into the knockout stages for the first time in history.
Scotland will kick off Euro 2024 against hosts Germany on June 14, followed by matches against Switzerland and Hungary in Group A.
After a long absence from major tournaments since the 1998 World Cup in France, the Scots made a return at the previous Euros but have never progressed past the group stage in their 11 appearances at major tournaments. However, fans are hopeful for a historic run this time, as Scotland demonstrated impressive form in qualifying, losing only once to group winners Spain and securing their spot with two games to spare.
“To qualify for successive Euros after more than 20 years is phenomenal and testament to their hard work,” Clarke said when Scotland clinched their spot back in October. “I said after Euro 2020 that we wanted to be serial qualifiers again, and reaching successive Euro finals shows the progress we’ve made.”
Led by Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, Scotland won their first five qualifying games, including a notable 2-0 victory over Spain, where McTominay scored both goals. Despite a 2-0 defeat by Spain in Seville, Scotland secured their place ahead of a highly-rated Norway team, featuring Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard, after Norway failed to beat the Spanish.
Clarke emphasized the team’s determination to break new ground in the tournament. “When you get to that level of competition, you have to get everything right, not just nearly everything right,” he told the BBC. “And that’s what Scotland teams haven’t been able to do in the past. We should have done it, but we didn’t. We messed it up. Hopefully, we can be the first squad to do it.”
McTominay, whose seven goals in qualifying were just one fewer than England’s Harry Kane and one more than Haaland, will be a key figure in the dressing room, alongside Robertson and Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn.
After their qualification campaign, Scotland endured a challenging seven-game winless run, including a 4-0 defeat by the Netherlands and a 1-0 loss to Northern Ireland. They ended that streak with a 2-0 win over Gibraltar on Monday and have one more friendly against Finland on Friday to regain their form before Euro 2024 begins.
With high hopes and a solid foundation, Scotland aims to make history and advance beyond the group stage for the first time, marking a new era of success under Clarke’s leadership.
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