STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) – Scotland manager Steve Clarke said he won’t need to make a rousing pre-game speech when his team clashes with Hungary on Sunday in a do-or-die Group A finale at Euro 2024. Everyone knows the stakes are sky-high.
“I’ll try and give them something (of a speech),” Clarke told reporters on Saturday. “But everybody knows how big a game it is, you can talk and talk and talk about it.
“We probably did a little bit too much the first game (a 5-1 defeat to Germany), so we’re trying to underplay this one, if you can ever underplay a game of this magnitude, …and make sure that we’re well prepared and ready to go come kick-off.”
Scotland — and their legion of Tartan Army fans — are hoping to get out of the group stage at a major tournament for the first time.
The game is essentially a knockout tie, with both teams needing a win to have any chance of reaching the next stage. Scotland have a slight advantage in that they have one point as they chase one of the four best-third place group finishes while Hungary are bottom of the standings having lost their first two matches.
“Listen, the whole tournament’s a sense of occasion to come here, and for Scotland the first major overseas tournament since 1998,” the 60-year-old Clarke said. “I was still playing. That’s a long time ago.”
The atmosphere is sure to be raucous with Scotland roared on by their thousands-strong, kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing Tartan Army.
“And the other five million that didn’t manage to travel, I’m sure that they also are engrossed in the tournament as well” Clarke said. “So, that’s what it means to everybody. It’s not just about this game.”
Scotland midfielder John McGinn said it would mean everything to win one for the supporters.
“The way they’ve conducted themselves…and I don’t know how they’ve managed to do it by all the drink they’ve been consuming,” McGinn said with a laugh. “(The supporters) have done their part of their journey and their job and it’s up to us to send them home with more unforgettable memories.”
Clarke is expecting a tough challenge from Hungary, who were solid in a 2-0 loss to group leaders Germany.
“We look at the record over the last few years, they’ve been building towards this, good team, well organised, good coach, good discipline without the ball, and a good threat with the ball,” he said.
Clarke will be without suspended defender Ryan Porteous and left back Kieran Tierney, who has left camp after injuring his hamstring in their 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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