BELGRADE • Scotland manager Steve Clarke was overjoyed to give the Scottish people something to cheer about during “a difficult time for the nation” amid the Covid-19 pandemic, after they beat Serbia on Thursday to reach Euro 2020.
The Scots ground out a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win at the Red Star Stadium with the play-off game ending 1-1 after extra time. It will be their first European Championship finals since 1996.
It is also the first time they have qualified for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Clarke’s men will join England, the Czech Republic and Croatia in Group D of the 24-nation tournament.
“It’s a very difficult time for Scotland because of the coronavirus pandemic and we spoke before the game about the chance to put a smile on their faces,” Clarke told a news conference.
“We know what we have achieved. Unbelievable, the character the players have shown. It would have been easy to crumble after conceding in the last minute of regular time from set play, but we dug in. We’ve been building towards this moment and tonight the players and the nation can be proud of themselves.”
Ryan Christie gave Scotland a 52nd-minute lead and the visitors missed several chances, before Serbia substitute Luka Jovic headed the equaliser in the dying seconds of regular time.
Both sides wasted chances in extra time, before Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall saved Serbia’s final penalty in the shoot-out from Aleksandar Mitrovic to send his side through.
Marshall revealed the officials had told him to put his celebrations on hold as there was a VAR check for encroachment when Mitrovic took the penalty.
“Immediately after the save the referee said ‘don’t celebrate yet because there is a VAR check’,” he said. “All you can do is pray because the lads were already celebrating. We deserved the win and we are delighted for all the fans and our families who couldn’t be here.”
An emotional Christie said qualifying for the team’s first Euro since 1996 was a “monkey off the back”.
-
EURO 2020
GROUP A
Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland
GROUP B
Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia
GROUP C
Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia
GROUP D
England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic
GROUP E
Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia
GROUP F
Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany
-
22 Years since Scotland last played at a major championship.
“I hope everyone back home is having a party tonight. We’ve been through it so many years,” he said.
“We know it, you know it, everyone knows it and it’s a monkey off the back now. It’s just for everything… for the whole nation, it’s been a horrible year for everyone and we knew we could give a little something to this country.”
England manager Gareth Southgate, who played in the team that faced Scotland in Euro 96, is relishing their meeting next year.
Speaking after England’s 3-0 friendly win over Ireland on Thursday, Southgate said: “It will hopefully be a fantastic occasion with fans, but that’s the one thing that none of us can control.
“I’m particularly pleased for Steve. He’s a great guy and has done a great job. That will be a humdinger of a game.
“They’ve got a team that’s improving quickly with a lot of players who have emerged in the last two or three years – the likes of John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney, Andrew Robertson.”
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE