Steve Clarke wants Scotland to use their final Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Norway to regain their momentum ahead of the finals in Germany next summer.
The Scots initially suspected they might need positive results from their last two games in Group A to qualify so organised a warm-weather training camp in Turkey at the start of next week to give themselves the best possible preparation ahead of their penultimate fixture in Tbilisi on Thursday.
However, after a blistering start to their campaign, they sealed their place at the tournament with two games to spare, so their main priority in the upcoming camp is to spark an upturn in results after successive defeats against England, Spain and France.
“We’ll be doing something similar to what we did when we went to Moldova (in 2021, when they had a warm-weather training camp in Spain), so we’ll leave early, on Sunday night after the games, and we’re going to stop off in Turkey and have a couple of days of hopefully warm weather there to break up the journey,” Clarke said at a press conference on Wednesday after naming his squad for the double-header.
“We identified these two games – Georgia away and Norway at home – as crucial games in the qualification process, but credit to the players, they’ve already qualified, so the games are not quite as crucial.
“But when you strip it back, we’ve lost the last three games, so we want to pick up a little bit of momentum going into the tournament next summer, so these two games are very important for us.
“It will be good to come here to finish the campaign with a home game against Norway and hopefully a good performance.
“It will be a chance for the crowd to thank the players and a chance for the players to thank the crowd. It will be a bit of a poor night if we don’t win the game, so let’s make sure we win the game.”
The 2-0 defeat by Spain in Seville saw Scotland relinquish top spot in Group A on goal difference. Spain finish away to Cyprus and at home to Georgia.
“I think to finish top is going to be very difficult,” said Clarke. “As I sit here now, it’s difficult for me to see Spain dropping any points from their last two games.
“We’ll just focus on ourselves and, if we can finish on the same points as Spain and they manage to top the group by an unfortunate slip from Aaron Hickey in the 2-0 defeat by Spain in Seville, we’ll take that.”
Scotland are missing four established starters for this month’s double-header, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn, captain Andrew Robertson, and fellow defenders Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey all injured.
Rangers defender John Souttar and Millwall forward Kevin Nisbet are the other notable absentees following their recent fitness issues.
Uncapped duo Josh Doig and Robby McCrorie, both of whom have been in previous camps, have been included, along with Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston.
“This is probably the toughest it’s been in terms of injuries in the last year or so,” said Clarke. “I remember in September last year we had to go to Ukraine in the Nations League with pretty much a shadow squad, but we dug in and got the result required.
“That’s what we’ll do this time. We can talk about the ones who are not here, but I always prefer to talk about the ones that are going to be here, so fingers crossed there are no more injuries before the squad meet up on Sunday.”
With first-choice Gunn missing with an injury he sustained for Norwich against Leeds last month, Motherwell’s Liam Kelly and Hearts’ Zander Clark, both of whom made their international bows in the friendly defeat by France last month, will vie to make their competitive debuts over the next two games.
“Obviously one of them is going to get a chance to play in the games coming up, so it’s a big camp for them,” said Clarke. “They know they have to impress.
“They’ve been in a lot of squads so they understand it and know the expectation around them. Hopefully they train well and are ready to play.”
Clarke included uncapped Verona left-back Doig after he was initially named in Scot Gemmill’s under-21 squad this week.
“Josh is doing well in Serie A, playing pretty regularly for his club,” said Clarke.
“He’s a good, athletic player who gets up and down the line. It will be nice to see how he’s improved and how he fits into the camp since we last saw him last September.”
Clarke insists he has not allowed his attention to turn towards his final 23-man squad for the Euros just yet.
“It won’t be a headache, it will be a difficult choice,” he said. “There’s obviously going to be a lot of people that want to be there.
“For me, it’s about not thinking too far ahead to picking the 23 because as this camp shows, injuries can turn up at any time.
“There’s a long way to go before the final squad is picked. Every game between now and the squad selection for the Euros next summer is a chance for somebody to impress so hopefully they take their chances.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique expects entertainment in Champions League semi-final with Dortmund
Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund served up plenty of entertainment in the Champions League quarter-finals, and their last-eight meeting promises more of the same, says Luis Enrique.
Both sides came back from first-leg defeats to reach the semi-finals, PSG winning 4-1 in Barcelona after a 3-2 loss in the French capital and Dortmund downing Atletico Madrid 4-2 to recover from their loss in Spain.
"I think that is the way it went in the quarter-finals based on the playing style of Dortmund and the way that we play," PSG head coach Luis Enrique told a press conference.
"I think it could be a wonderful spectacle, not just for the two fan bases, but for everybody who loves football. I think there will be goals, given the quality and the ability to reach the opposition goal on both teams."
PSG had never before overturned a first-leg defeat at home in the Champions League, and while the Spaniard believes it can help his players, he also knows that history counts for little at this stage.
"I do hope it liberates us because this is something that we haven't done before after losing the first leg. I also have experience that shows how important it is to be competitive tomorrow," Luis Enrique said.
"What we achieved previously doesn't matter. History is great, but our goal is to win tomorrow. We don't want to leave it to chance and think about the second leg at the Parc des Princes."
History may weigh on the minds of PSG, too, given they have lost all four games of their previous two-legged Champions League semi-final ties – against Milan in 1994-95 and Manchester City in 2020-21.
The Parisians did win their one-legged last-four meeting with RB Leipzig in the disrupted 2019-20 season, though, while Dortmund have reached the final on two of their three semi-final appearances.
Dortmund and PSG have already met in this season's competition as well, with the German side topping their group, but PSG beat them at Parc des Princes and managed a 1-1 draw in the away meeting.
Luis Enrique thinks his team, who secured their third consecutive Ligue 1 title on Sunday, have improved since then – and suggested there is even more to come.
"We have improved in all areas. We are better defensively, better going forward," the former Barcelona boss continued.
"We can keep improving for sure. And that is one of the characteristics of our way of managing the club and the team, by trying to be demanding, not thinking that everything is done."
PSG appear favourites to go through given Dortmund have only won one of their six meetings with the French side in all competitions (D3 L2).
Dortmund overcame PSG 2-1 in the first leg of the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16 before being eliminated 3-2 on aggregate, and Luis Enrique expects another difficult task on Wednesday.
"That shows that the press doesn't know much about football," he joked ahead of the first meeting at Signal Iduna Park.
"I have said that for a long time. What is great about being here is enjoying a really special game at a unique stadium in Europe and having the chance to make our fans really happy by reaching the final."
A tough challenge awaits for PSG, however, considering Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League home games (W6 D4), their longest-ever such run in the competition.
CFU to assume responsibility for Caribbean Club Shield from Concacaf
The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will now assume responsibility for the organization and management of the Caribbean Club Shield, as Concacaf has opted to shift the respected Caribbean club competition from its portfolio.
As such, CFU will take the reins of the tournament, which will be rebranded as the CFU Club Shield for the 2024 edition and onwards, and will qualify two clubs into the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. While CFU will organize and manage the competition, Concacaf will provide support for its delivery, as per the terms of what is viewed as a significant transition agreement.
According to Concacaf President, Victor Montagliani, this decision reflects a collaborative effort between Concacaf and the CFU to further bolster the growth of clubs and leagues, and football as a whole, across the Caribbean region.
“The development of regional club football is a major priority for Concacaf and alongside our Caribbean member associations, we are dedicated to fully supporting the growth of clubs and leagues across a region known for its passion for the sport. This collaboration with the CFU is a testament to the leadership of the CFU President and highlights the ambition we share to deliver opportunities that will take the game in the Caribbean to the next level. We look forward with great anticipation to supporting the delivery of the inaugural CFU Club Shield later this year," Montagliani shared.
His CFU counterpart Randolph Harris expressed his delight to take the reins.
“The CFU is extremely pleased to be taking over the management and organization of the Club Shield, and to rebrand it as an official CFU competition. We welcome the cooperation from Concacaf in ushering in this new era of the CFU delivering an important club competition and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Confederation to grow club and league football in the region. We are excited to deliver a competition that is as robust as any on the field of play and to delivering administration that meets and exceeds the mark,” said Harris.
Established in 2018, the Caribbean Club Shield has a primary objective of advancing professional football throughout the Caribbean. Participation is open to semi-professional and amateur teams holding current championship titles in their respective domestic leagues.
The tournament format involves up to 16 clubs, grouped into four sets of four. Winners of each group progress to the semifinals, with the ultimate finalists earning coveted berths in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, subsequently qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup.
In 2023, Suriname’s SV Robinhood emerged victorious in both the Caribbean Club Shield and the Caribbean Cup. The team has solidified their position as the most successful team in the history of the Caribbean Club Shield, boasting two championship titles.
This year's edition is set to unfold from July 25 to August 4, 2024. The venue for this year's competition will be announced in short order.
Courtois ruled out of Euro 2024 despite Real Madrid return
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of Euro 2024 by Domenico Tedesco, despite making a return to the Real Madrid squad.
The 31-year-old has missed the entire season, and after a setback in March, needed another knee operation.
Carlo Ancelotti said he hoped to have the goalkeeper back for their LaLiga match against Cadiz at the weekend, but has been able to name him on the bench for their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Despite Courtois making a return to action before the squads have to be named, Tedesco was clear that he would not be chosen.
Speaking to German media on Tuesday, he said: “On this topic, everything has already been said. I don't want a tit-for-tat situation.
"We are focusing on players who are in good shape."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
