As Scotland Imagine going out against hosts Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024, they hope the eyes of the world are on them. Statements of Scottish defiance are rarely heard at major tournaments, but on the eve of the Euros, captain Andy Robertson declared: “If we act the way we know we can act, we believe we can make history.”
It has been 26 years since Scotland have played in a game of such international magnitude. Against Germany, there will be a symmetry with when the Tartan Army faced Brazil at the Stade de France in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup. That tournament, like many before it, became a glorious failure for Scotland. A generation later, this team believes it can become the first to progress from the group stage.
Robertson admitted the opening game against the hosts “doesn’t get much tougher”. Germany will be driven by emotion and a sense of opportunity, while the coach Julian Nagelsmann issued his own war cry. “We want to have the country behind us, to push us forward,” he said. One nation hopes a victory will lead Germany to a golden summer. It is up to Scotland to put itself in its path.
They will do this with the Tartan Army behind them. For the thousands of people who packed Munich’s Marienplatz square on Thursday, Scotland’s first major men’s tournament abroad since 1998 felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For the 26 players in Steve Clarke’s team, those emotions only increase: most will not have faced an occasion like this and may not do so again. It’s the game of their lives.
Even 60-year-old Clarke, despite having played in matches as important as the Champions League finals in his time as Chelsea’s assistant manager, was surprised by the size of the press conference room at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Clarke, however, would never get carried away or give too much of a performance. The manager who led Scotland to two consecutive European Championships is not one to waste words. “I settled in well, I trained well and I’m looking forward to the game,” he said. Clarke described the enormity of Scotland’s first game as a “sideshow”, but amid all the noise and excitement at home, he reportedly told his players to rely on the basics.
As messages from family and videos of the Tartan Army arriving in Munich reached the squad, Clarke and Robertson were more than aware of how proud the country is of their achievement in reaching the Euros. But there is a determination within the group to create something to be proud of. Robertson admitted Scotland “disappointed” at Euro 2020, where they drew against England at Wembley but were eliminated after home defeats to the Czech Republic and Croatia.
This experience should help. As it was before Euro 2020, preparing for a major tournament can feel like “years and years”, but Scotland are aware of how quickly they can slip away. “We don’t want to have any regrets,” Robertson said. Scotland’s qualifying campaign proved what they were capable of and they are not in Germany to make up the numbers. “There is no pressure or expectation from the rest of the world, but we expect a lot from ourselves,” Robertson added.
Germany may be the toughest start, but Scotland have nothing to lose. It is in the remaining games against Switzerland and Hungary that Clarke intends to add the four points that would be enough to reach the round of 16. Scotland will prepare for Germany to have most of the ball and intend to be “compact” and “frustrate” their hosts. Nagelsmann warned his team about the “Scottish mentality”, which offers more than just “long balls” into the box. “It’s a team without world stars, but that makes them dangerous,” he said, as a compliment.
There were two schools of thought when Scotland were drawn to face Germany in the tournament opener. The first was the risk of Scotland facing an inspired opponent, with the first opportunity to demonstrate the power of home advantage and show that they are coming together at the right time. Against this, Scotland would do well not to be sidelined. On the other hand, the other theory is that it could be the best time for Scotland to face Germany, to face any uncertainty, to expose a young and tense team, burned by recent embarrassments in major tournaments.
Nagelsmann is not looking to the past. Scotland, however, can look to the future with hope. In addition to the return at Euro 2020, the failure to get out of the group stage is not present in this team, but it would become history if it advanced. Otherwise, as Robertson pointed out, they will simply join the long list of Scottish teams who have fallen at the first hurdle. And before facing the hosts, it was a message that got better when it was released, said loud and clear. As Robertson concluded ahead of Euro 2024: “What’s the worst that can happen?”
