Steve Clarke leads Scotland to consecutive European Championships
Steve Clarke has become the first manager to take Scotland to consecutive European Championships after Spain’s victory over Norway guaranteed qualification for the Scots.
A 1-0 win for Spain in Oslo, thanks to a Gavi goal, means the Norwegians can no longer catch the Scots and Erling Haaland and his teammates will have to hope for progression through the play-offs.
Scotland’s Qualification is Richly Deserved
It may have been achieved elsewhere, but qualification is richly deserved for the Scots, with five wins and just one defeat from their six matches, with that loss coming away to Spain. Clarke’s side won away at Norway and it a clash between the two sides in Glasgow remains, while Scotland also go to Georgia next month, but it means little.
Scotland make it to the Euros for just the fourth time in history, having been there in 1992, ’96 and last time around in 2020. Andy Roxburgh was in charge for Euro 92 qualification, with Craig Brown in charge by the time they qualified for Euro 96. This means Clarke is the first manager to qualify twice for Scotland and obviously the first to do it consecutively.
Wales Keep Hopes of Qualification Alive
Wales kept their hopes of qualification alive on Sunday night with a superb 2-1 win over Croatia in Cardiff, with Harry Wilson scoring twice. Rob Page’s side go to Armenia and then host Turkey next month, knowing that two victories will guarantee progression as they now have a superior record in the head-to-head with Croatia, a team they are level on points with.
Wales captain Ben Davies said: ‘It’s a big result for us. Our backs were against the wall and we knew what we had to do coming into the game. It’s a big night but it means nothing if we don’t back it up next month. We’ve shown our spirit over and over again. We came out tonight and put a good performance in. We know we’ve got that connection with them (the fans).’
France, Portugal and Belgium Also Qualify
France, Portugal and Belgium have also qualified for Euro 2024, while England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all hoping to join them. UEFA have confirmed that Euro 2028 will be held in the UK and Ireland – but will England and the other host nations get automatic qualification?
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