• Steve Clark gives Scotland their first qualification for international competition in 23 years
• His team will begin their UEFA Euro 2020 run against the Czech Republic
• Clarke discusses her work as a psychologist and bad habits

So shaken, with tears in his eyes and his face buried in his hands, Ryan Christie probably spoke for all Scots when he said: “That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!” Scotland had their UEFA Euro 2020 ticket valid after ending a 23-year absence in the final tournament, an equalizer in extra time and a grueling penalty shootout in Serbia. ‘A big tournament, in this case 1998 FIFA World Cup France™

“This qualification came at the right time because we were going through a very difficult time,” Scottish coach Steve Clarke said in an interview. fifa.com. “The country was limited, we were in the middle of winter and there was not much to be happy about. A lot of people were starting to lose ground. The merit and joy it brought to our compatriots has done very well.”

“It’s nice to see people smiling again,” he adds. “This episode reminded us of football’s place in the hearts of Scots. It’s popular around the world, but it has a place of its own here.”

fix weaknesses, optimize strengths

Thanks to the continued momentum of the national vaccination program, supporters will also celebrate, although their numbers will dwindle. In Hampden on 14 June, he will be there to cheer for his team against the Czech Republic for the inaugural Euro. “Even with 12,000 fans, I know tartan army Will set the mood in the stands,” said Clarke. It is also important for the players. They’ll be even more inspired.”

Looking for balance, Scotland can count on its coach, wise and reserved, to dampen the enthusiasm of its players. A former international, Clark studied as an assistant to big names like Jose Mourinho or Kenny Dalglish. Since his appointment in 2019, he has strived to fix weak points and optimize his players’ strengths without ever deviating from his measurements or his rigor.

confidence, performance, results

When he arrived, the squad was not lacking in talent, but it suffered from imbalances: there were two high-level full-backs on the left flank (Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney), strong central midfielders, but few attackers or central defenders. Those who explain Clarke has supported the development of already existing international players, while at the same time trying to persuade Australia and England-born Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams to join Scotland. Tactically, its flexible and practical approach has proven its worth.

“I had to modify my system a bit. In general, I prefer to use a defense with four, but I found that a defense with three would be more effective, taking into account our qualities”, its analyzes. “I was also looking forward to getting Lyndon and Che into the team. They allowed us to diversify our options on offense and expand our range of options. Players who were already there saw that these arrivals plugged Pulled off. Team up. This dynamic instills confidence, which generates better performance, which produces better results.”

In the absence of defensive midfielders Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean, who were injured just before the start of Euros, Clarke will have to rethink his plans. “We have other good midfielders with other characteristics,” continues the coach, who has called on Billy Gilmour and David Turnbull to change attacking profiles as two more. “It’s up to me to find the right balance between defensive strength and creativity on offense. Anyway, to go this far in this tournament, you have to score goals.”

to look forward

While Scotland is delighted with this first final in almost a quarter century, Clarke is already looking to the future, namely qualifying for the FIFA World Cup™ and a crucial match in Denmark in September. “The results are encouraging, but there are still some areas where we can make progress. That is why we are trying to make the most of the time we have now. This work will be useful for the euro, but also taking into account qualifying matches this fall.”

“Based on the results in this sequence – Denmark away, Moldova at home and Austria away – Scotland would have an indication of their chances of returning to the world event.” When I was young, Scotland’s presence in major competitions was obvious. The last two decades are meant to remind us that everything can change very quickly”, Clarke enrages. That is why it was important to participate in the Euro and it is equally important to be part of the Euro. The trip to Qatar. Above all, I don’t want to see us fall back into our bad habits, like when we were resigned and no longer qualify. The way to avoid a recurrence is to get a nice euro and send our money to Qatar. have to validate the ticket”, he concluded.