Outgoing Scotland manager Steve Clarke has sent a farewell message to supporters in which he joked about ‘beating’ old rivals England 0-0 at the delayed Euro 2020.
Clarke presided over a miserable World Cup in charge of Scotland, in which they were knocked out of the group stage again despite the extended format of the competition.
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The Tartan Army were out in full force in the United States but were not given much to shout about, 1-0 win over tournament minnows Haiti aside.
They were beaten by Morocco in Boston before losing 3-0 to Brazil in Miami in a game that was littered by their own mistakes.
Clarke signed a new contract before the World Cup but has left his post and sent a farewell message to supporters.
Clarke references Scotland’s 0-0 draw with England
Cast your minds back to Euro 2020, which was played in 2021 because of the global pandemic.
Both England and Scotland were joint-hosting the tournament, although the bulk of the action was played in England.
Scotland arrived at Wembley in the second group stage game and held their old rivals to a 0-0 draw.
While not to be taken seriously, many Scottish fans joked that they had in fact won the game 0-0 because they stopped England from winning.
In a statement posted by the Scottish Football Association, Clarke said: “Although the tournament was, for us at least, a bit of a damp squib, there was an unforgettable night at Wembley when we more than matched the eventual beaten finalists England and held them to a 0-0 win!
“The biggest disappointment of that tournament was the absence of the Tartan Army in their tens of thousands.”
Clarke led Scotland to that tournament, as well as the Euro 2024 finals in Germany three years later.
Both campaigns ended in disappointing group stage exits, however.
The 2026 World Cup was Scotland’s first appearance at the most iconic tournament in football in 28 years but it ended on a sour note.
Though losing to Brazil is no great shame, the manner of the defeat was extremely disappointing for Scottish fans who had spent thousands to travel and support their team.
Read more:
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