Euro 2024 Qualifiers: Clarke hails ‘phenomenal’ achievement after Scotland seals European Championships spot

Spain’s 1-0 win over Norway on Sunday ensured a top-two finish for Scotland in Group A, earning it automatic qualification for Euro 2024 in Germany.

Published : Oct 16, 2023 10:02 IST - 2 MINS READ

Scotland coach Steve Clarke during a Euro 2024 Qualifier against Spain at Seville.
Scotland coach Steve Clarke during a Euro 2024 Qualifier against Spain at Seville. | Photo Credit: Marcelo del Pozo/ REUTERS
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Scotland coach Steve Clarke during a Euro 2024 Qualifier against Spain at Seville. | Photo Credit: Marcelo del Pozo/ REUTERS

Scotland coach Steve Clarke hailed the progress his side has made after it secured a berth at next year’s European Championship with two games to spare.

Spain’s 1-0 win over Norway on Sunday ensured a top-two finish for Scotland in Group A, earning it automatic qualification for Euro 2024 in Germany.

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Scotland has qualified for back-to-back European Championship finals for just the second time after it played in the 1992 and 1996 editions of the tournament.

“I would like to congratulate the players for their efforts in qualifying for back-to-back tournaments,” Clarke said.

“I’m not sure they will fully realise the significance of their achievement yet but to qualify for successive Euros after more than 20 years is phenomenal and testament to their hard work.

“I said after Euro 2020 that we wanted to be serial qualifiers again and reaching successive Euro finals shows the progress we’ve made.”

Clarke said they would celebrate qualification before getting back to work with their preparations for Tuesday’s friendly against France.

“Then we turn our attention to Georgia and Norway next month and finishing with as many points as we can,” he added.

Captain Andy Robertson, who left the national team’s camp midway through the international break after picking up a shoulder injury in a 2-0 defeat to Spain, said it was “mission accomplished”.

“Euro 2020 was a great experience and the objective for us next summer is to build on that previous experience and improve on our last overall tournament performance,” the defender added.

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