The certainties of life: taxes, death, Scotland out of the groups. There was no exception even at Euro 2024, with a national team that on the eve of the tournament seemed capable of playing the part of the outsider. This is because for some years now we have been witnessing the growth of players who are imposing themselves even on the highest international levels, just think of Andy Robertson of Liverpool or to Scott McTominay of Manchester United.
Steve Clarke’s selection had also passed the qualifiers brilliantly, finishing ahead of a much more popular team like Norway Haaland And Odegaard. And that she was even able to scare Spain, the very same Spain that crushed us a few days ago: the historic 2-0 without appeal to the red furies with a double McTominay on March 28th.
Who could have played a leading role in Germany was Lewis Ferguson, on the rise in Bologna who won the Champions League. The cruciate ligament injury deprived Clarke of an important solution between midfield and attack.
The heavy debut defeat against Germany already sounded like a bad omen, the draw against Switzerland kept a window open for hope. Instead, Csoboth’s goal in the tenth minute of added time closed the issue, consistent with the Tartan Army’s history in major competitions.
The score reads: four participations in the final phase of the European Championships, four eliminations in the first round: 12 games played, 2 victories, both useless, coming on the last day. Even at the World Cup, same scenario: 8 participations, always outside the groups with a record streak of five consecutive participations (1974-1990) and as many disappointments.
There was even a time when the selection was considered one of the candidates for final victory, precisely in the Argentina 1978 edition. The Scottish people were anticipating nights of glory in a tournament without their English enemies. They had eliminated reigning champions Czechoslovakia in the qualifiers, they had players like Kenny Dalglish, Joe Jordan And Graeme Souness. For the occasion, in defiance of superstition, Rod Stewart composed a song that should have been the soundtrack of the future world champions.
It ended there too immediately, on the other hand they left us as a legacy a great goal by Archie Gemmill against the Netherlands (in the useless 3-2 victory) which later became immortal for the future generation thanks to the historic quote by Ewan McGregor in the role of Mark Renton in Trainspotting…
