Steve Clarke wants a top-end Scotland training complex as he prepares for Euro 2024 in Germany.
The men’s national team moved from their base in Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, to Glasgow earlier in the year, with coach John Carver criticising the pitches at the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus.
Clarke spoke about the move to Lesser Hampden and a city centre hotel as part of the re-setting of Scotland following the defeat by Ukraine in the World Cup play-off in June 2022 and, although he is focused on a second successive Euros, he is looking to the longer-term, albeit he may not be the beneficiary.
Scotland were drawn against host country Germany, Switzerland and Hungary in Group A for next summer’s Euros, with the Scots set to face the Netherlands in the first of a friendly double-header in March with an as-yet unnamed opponent coming to Hampden Park days later.
Clarke said: “Oriam was the venue that I was asked to use. It was fine.
“Initially it was perfect, it served its purpose. We had some really good camps at the Oriam, some great results, some great moments.
“We made the best of those facilities and we made them work.
“But after a period of time you think, ‘OK, this is a little bit tired, we are a bit tired of this place and we need to change’.
“To be fair to the (SFA) board, as soon as I began to ask for change, they were on it. They understood what I was trying to say to them.
“Just to freshen it up, to try to improve the facilities a little bit and move close to the top level of facility.
“Unfortunately we don’t have our own base in Scotland so we have to find something and at the moment the Blythswood hotel and Lesser Hampden is a fantastic option but I won’t stop looking and I won’t stop pushing for something else because I want to keep moving and moving.
“I say it to the board all the time, never stop trying to improve and never stop trying to look for something eventually, hopefully, can become a Scottish FA facility.
“It would be nice but being realistic, two tournament qualifications in 25 years is not going to help us (pay for it), you would need to look at another two or three, or three out of the next four, or three out of the next five, a constant extra revenue coming into the association and maybe then they can think about it.
“If you are asking me if I would I rather have a training ground than a refurbished Hampden – Hampden will get refurbished for the 2028 Euros.
“If that refurbish is adequate then I would be saying look to put your money into a training facility that belongs to the Scottish FA and then you can look to move the game forward, you can use it as a facility for the men’s A, the women’s A and then hopefully all the under-age groups moving down the way and that is something we should look at.”
“I can start the process,” continued Clarke. “I never think too much about myself. Maybe you see that sometimes.
“But if I’m in the fortunate position to be head coach with a really talented group of players – which I am – then this is the time to start trying to build something for the future.
“Hopefully it could be for just one head coach down the line – or maybe two or three head coaches down the line before we actually get there.
“But, either way, that will mean we’ve been consistently successful and then hopefully we can end up with a nice product.”
Ronaldo's Al Nassr dismiss head coach Castro
Al Nassr are on the hunt for a new boss after dismissing head coach Luis Castro, the Saudi Pro League side confirmed on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have struggled through an underwhelming start to the season, winning just one of their opening three league fixtures of the campaign.
The Riyadh club were also defeated in the Saudi Super Cup final 4-1 against champions Al Hilal last month.
Al Nassr have seen enough, swiftly moving to part ways with 63-year-old Castro, who previously took charge of Brazilian Serie A side Botafago.
"Everyone at AlNassr would like to thank Luis and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 14 months," the club said in a brief statement on social media.
Castro, a fellow Portugal compatriot to Ronaldo, led the club to lift the Arab Club Champions Cup last year, a competition contested by 37 teams from Asia and Africa.
However, Al Nassr finished second in the league last season, 14 points behind Jorge Jesus' Al Hilal, who were inspired by the goal-scoring exploits of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Al Nassr drew 1-1 against Al Shorta of Iraq on Monday in the opening game of the AFC Champions League Elite, which proved to be Castro's final match at the helm.
Stefano Pioli, formerly of AC Milan, is one of Al Nassr's preferred replacements according to reports in local Saudi media.
Ronaldo can reach 1,000-goal milestone before retirement - Jorge Andrade
Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of reaching 1,000 career goals as long as he continues to look after his body, according to Jorge Andrade.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted his 900th goal for club and country in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia on 5 September.
Ronaldo then added to his tally with a late winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland three days later, setting him on his way to reaching the four-figure milestone.
Former Portugal star Jorge Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, backed his compatriot to do just that.
"With Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing is impossible," Andrade said to Stats Perform.
"Since we've watched football, the idea of the 1,000 goals is associated with our great idol, Pele.
"But nowadays, both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have managed to overcome other idols, Diego Maradona and Pele.
"They managed to be the highlight of the football game in a short time. It's not surprising Ronaldo can break that record. He looks after his body.
"He has a history of very few injuries. In terms of the Portuguese national team and the league he is in, he manages his efforts well."
Ronaldo has scored 132 of his goals for Portugal, with whom he won Euro 2016, while the other 769 have come at club level.
The 39-year-old has scored 68 times for current club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he has spent the past 20 months.
While Ronaldo continues to score freely in the Middle East, long-time rival Messi is now plying his trade in the United States with Inter Miami.
Andrade, best remembered for his time at Deportivo during his playing career, believes both deserve credit for taking on challenges elsewhere.
"The most important thing for them is that they share the experiences they have even in adverse environments," he said.
"For example, Messi now plays in MLS. It's a difficult league; it's a league that doesn't have much visibility.
"He managed to be there and increase visibility. Cristiano Ronaldo went to Saudi Arabia and it's a complicated environment.
"He increased the visibility of that championship, making it attractive for other players to play who had just the five major leagues as the main goal to play.
"In other words, these two players have changed the world of football."
Birmingham 3-1 Wrexham: Stansfield brace hands hosts Hollywood derby bragging rights
Jay Stansfield struck either side of half-time to give 10-man Birimingham a huge 3-1 victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Wrexham on Monday.
A game dubbed the 'Hollywood derby' was given a blockbuster start when Jack Marriot smashed home the opening goal for the visitors with just two minutes on the clock.
But Birmingham's £10million recruit Stansfield soon levelled the scores, being the first to react to Alfie May's effort that was parried into his path by Arthur Okonkwo.
The hosts then took hold of the encounter as May and Taylor Gardner-Hickman went close, but the game entered the break finely poised at St. Andrew's.
However, Blues' dominance prevailed seven minutes after the restart with Stansfield's header picking out the far corner following Alex Cochrane's pinpoint cross.
And the points were sealed just before the hour-mark in stunning fashion as Tomoki Iwata's strike from distance smashed in off the post, much to the delight of minority owner Tom Brady in the stands.
A fiesty conclusion to proceedings saw Chris Davies' side end the game with a man less after Krystian Bielik was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Andrew Cannon, but Birmingham were able to hold on for the win.
Data Debrief: The American dream
Much was made of Birmingham's approach to the transfer window after spending £25m in their attempts to return the Championship at the first time of asking, but their biggest investment proved his worth on Monday.
Stansfield notched his first two goals for the club since his permanent switch from Fulham, but the Blues striker also played a starring role in the encounter.
He registered an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.12 to Birmingham's 1.3 total, while he also produced more shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (six) than any other player.
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