Julen Lopetegui has rejected an approach from Tottenham, according to Sevilla president Jose Castro.

Sevilla head coach Lopetegui has rebuilt his reputation with the LaLiga club after being sacked by both Spain and Real Madrid in 2018.

Last season he led Sevilla to a fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification, having won the Europa League in 2019-20.

Spurs' fraught search for a long-term successor to Jose Mourinho has taken in links to Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, appeared close to a conclusion during discussions with ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca and descended into farce when fans protested against the prospect of appointing Gennaro Gattuso, the former Milan and Napoli head coach.

And, if Castro is to be believed, Lopetegui is not about to answer Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy's call.

"Julen rang me and told me," Castro told Cadena SER regarding an offer he described as "dizzying".

"Some coaches are more driven by economic factors but Julen is very clear that he is happy here and he even said it would be very difficult to find a better place to work than here.

"We believed and believe in him, giving him a two-year contract extension, and I'm sure he will bring much more to the club."

Uncertainty at Tottenham has not been helped by speculation over star striker Harry Kane being unsettled, with Manchester City reported to have tabled a £100million bid for the England captain this week.

Sweden secured their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 as group winners as they sent Poland crashing out with a 3-2 victory in Saint Petersburg.

The Swedes looked to be cruising into the last 16 after going two up through Emil Forsberg only for a double from Robert Lewandowski to set up a nervy finish.

However, with Paulo Sousa's side pushing for the winner they needed to avoid an early exit, they were hit on the break and condemned to defeat by substitute Viktor Claesson.

That stoppage-time goal ensured Sweden leapfrogged Spain into top spot in Group E, while Poland dropped out of the tournament with just a single point to their name.

None of the previous 26 meetings between Sweden and Poland had ended goalless and the prospect of a bore draw was eliminated inside just two minutes.

Forsberg had some poor Polish defending to thank for the opener - the second-fastest goal in Euros history (81 seconds) - which came when he bundled past multiple challenges before applying a left-footed finish.

Sweden continued to apply pressure in the aftermath, but they were indebted to some uncharacteristically poor finishing from Lewandowski with 17 minutes gone.

After heading onto the crossbar from a wicked corner delivery, the prolific Bayern Munich man somehow did the same with a close-range follow-up despite having a virtually open goal to aim at.

The Poles were subsequently restricted to long-range efforts from Piotr Zielinski, though he did at least test Robin Olsen with two ambitious efforts that sandwiched the half-time break.

But it looked like their race was run when Forsberg finished powerfully after a brilliant breakaway down the right-hand side from Dejan Kulusevski.

However, Lewandowski more than atoned for his glaring miss earlier in the match two minutes later, scampering away down the left-hand side and cutting in to unleash an unstoppable drive into the far corner.

Poland thought they had equalised just past the hour mark when Jakub Swierczok diverted a cross home only for the linesman's flag to quickly bring an end to the celebrations.

They did get their goal with six minutes of normal time remaining, though, Lewandowski making no mistake when a cross dropped to him in space in the box.

That strike set up a grandstand finish which Poland dominated, but they were ultimately undone by Claesson's slick finish, which came after more good work from Kulusevski.

Spain profited from Martin Dubravka's goalkeeping howler and then turned on the style to thrash Slovakia 5-0 and book their place in the last 16 of Euro 2020.

Luis Enrique's men required a win in Wednesday's clash to guarantee a last-16 spot after drawing their first two games and were given a huge helping hand by Dubravka.

The Slovakia keeper saved an Alvaro Morata penalty early on – the fifth in a row Spain have missed – before comically flapping the ball into his own net with half an hour played.

That put Spain on their way to an emphatic win, the first time they have ever scored five times in a European Championship match, after Aymeric Laporte's first international goal and strikes from Pablo Sarabia and Ferran Torres before Juraj Kucka's own goal.

Spain were awarded a penalty inside the first 12 minutes after VAR intervened and adjudged Jakub Hromada fouled Koke when attempting to clear the ball.

Dubravka dived to his right and got two hands to the powerful attempt but, after chances went begging for Sarabia and Pedri, the keeper went from hero to zero.

Sarabia's long-range shot looped into the air after striking the crossbar and Dubravka, under a bit of pressure from Morata, inexplicably pushed the ball into his own net.

Dubravka could have done better for Spain's second goal, too, as Gerard Moreno beat the marauding keeper to a ball and crossed for Laporte to head into the top-right corner.

Spain were in complete control of the game when Sarabia swept home Jordi Alba's pass into the bottom-right corner with 56 minutes on the clock.

Slovakia still had a chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed sides, but substitute Torres flicked Sarabia's cross past Dubravka just 44 seconds after entering the pitch and Kucka knocked the ball into his own net soon after for Spain's fifth.

Uruguay face Bolivia in the Copa America on Thursday and need Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez to start producing in attack.

After losing their opening match to Argentina, Oscar Tabarez's men drew 1-1 with Chile on matchday two to breathe a bit of life into their campaign.

The goal was their first since November 2020, yet it came via Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal, who turned into his own net under pressure from Suarez.

Uruguay's problems in attack are clear: they have the lowest shooting accuracy at the Copa America (20 per cent), and the worst shot conversion rate (five per cent).

That is in spite of the fact they boast a strike partnership in Suarez and Cavani who have plundered 114 international goals between them. They have only managed a combined seven shots at these finals, six of which came against Chile.

Uruguay do, at least, have a strong recent record against Bolivia, who have lost to Paraguay and Chile at this tournament and only won one of their past 12 meetings with La Celeste – a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup.

Indeed, Bolivia are on a 10-game winless run in Copa America matches played in Brazil and have not beaten Uruguay at a neutral venue since 1949.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bolivia – Roberto Fernandez

Fernandez belied his inexperience with a strong performance against Chile, making six clearances and four interceptions at left-back, with only two team-mates having more than his 67 touches of the ball.

He could find himself in with a tough battle against Federico Valverde down the Uruguay right.

Uruguay – Facundo Torres

Torres attempted three shots and created two chances against Chile, as many as Cavani managed, despite the 21-year-old only coming on for the final 30 minutes.

This could be a good opportunity for Tabarez to hand the Penarol forward a chance to impress from the start.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Uruguay have lost only one of their past 12 games against Bolivia in all competitions (W8 D3), 1-0 in La Paz in World Cup 2014 qualifying. 
- Uruguay have won 11 of their 13 games against Bolivia at neutral venues (D1 L1). The only win for Bolivia was in 1949, 3-2 in Rio de Janeiro in the Copa America.
- Bolivia have lost their past five games and have failed to win in their previous 10 Copa America matches played in Brazil (D2 L8). They have won only four games in the competition in this country, all of them at the 1949 edition.
- Bolivia have the lowest possession average (31.2 per cent) but the highest forward passes percentage (39.4 per cent of their 597 total passes) at the tournament.
- Uruguay have the lowest shooting accuracy at the Copa America 2021: only the 20 per cent (4/20) of their shots have been on target. They have the lowest shot conversion rate, too (five per cent).

Chile will aim to maintain their unbeaten start under head coach Martin Lasarte and put some pressure on Copa America Group A leaders Argentina when they face Paraguay on Thursday.

La Roja have won three and drawn three of their six matches since experienced coach Lasarte replaced Reinaldo Rueda in February.

That includes 1-1 draws against Argentina and Uruguay, either side of a 1-0 win against Bolivia, to leave them second in their Copa America group with one game to go.

Chile are assured of a place in the knockout stages, but Lasarte is eager to avoid going through in fourth place, which would mean a quarter-final tie with favourites Brazil.

"We do not want to qualify in last place. Avoiding Brazil is key as they are the most powerful side in the tournament," he said.

"The draw against Uruguay, who have a lot of great players, was not bad. I'd have liked a win, but to draw was good."

Paraguay still have work to do if they are to progress out of the group, having followed up a 3-1 win over Bolivia in their first game with a 1-0 loss to Argentina last time out.

Papu Gomez scored the only goal of the game after 10 minutes for Argentina and Paraguay could not find a leveller, despite having more of the ball.

Los Guaranies will now be looking to overcome Chile in order to stay in the hunt for a top-four spot that would see them advance.

Head coach Eduardo Berizzo said: "We played a solid game defensively against Argentina and we have to continue with that.

"The attitude has been very good from the team and the players have given everything. We weren't rewarded for our efforts in the last game but we will try again."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chile – Claudio Bravo

The Real Betis goalkeeper is the oldest player taking part in the Copa America at 38 years, but he is showing that age is just a number.

He has made the most saves among keepers to have played at least two games with 11 in total across three appearances (3.7 per game on average).

Paraguay – Alejandro Romero Gamarra

Gamarra has only played twice so far in this year's Copa America, yet he has created more chances than any other player in the competition (12) prior to Wednesday's games.

The prolific Al-Taawoun attacker was also on target in his side's victory over Bolivia to make it four goals in eight senior caps for Paraguay.

KEY OPTA FACTS

– Paraguay are unbeaten in their last four games against Chile on neutral soil (W2  D2).

– Chile have not conceded more than one goal in any of their six games under head coach Lasarte.

– Paraguay have the highest possession in this year's Copa America (66.8 per cent) and have created 16.5 chances per game, more than any other side.

Italy legend Filippo Inzaghi has outlined the areas Kylian Mbappe must improve upon if he is to reach Cristiano Ronaldo's level.

Two of world football's biggest names go head to head on Wednesday evening when France face Portugal in the group stages of Euro 2020.

Les Bleus know their place in the knockout stages is already guaranteed but will be out to secure top spot in Group F and a kinder last-16 draw.

Portugal, meanwhile, are at risk of crashing out of the tournament unless they secure at least a point from their meeting with the world champions.

Mbappe and Ronaldo are likely to have a big say for their respective teams but Inzaghi believes one man might find it easier to influence proceedings thanks to his starting position.

"Being the main point of reference up front could be an advantage for Ronaldo, but he could be an easier target for defenders," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Mbappe can look for spaces and sometimes he can hide."

Mbappe is often hailed as a potential successor to Ronaldo - or indeed Lionel Messi, dependent on taste - as the world's best player.

But Inzaghi feels the Frenchman, who has scored 78 goals in 80 Ligue 1 appearances over the last three seasons, is capable of showing a greater killer instinct in the box.

"Ronaldo was unique in the central part of his career at Real Madrid," he added.

"Now Mbappe is in Paris, then we'll see. For now, he doesn't seem attracted by goals as Cristiano is.

"Mbappe's dribbling in tight spaces and his change of pace are stunning. It really looks like he has gears in his legs.

"Even more, it looks easy for him to make the difference, even in one metre. He can be devastating, whether he has space or not.

"However, Cristiano's heading and ability to lose his marker are unreachable, and he is so accurate whether he shoots with his right or left foot. 

"This is something Mbappe still needs to improve."

Real Madrid would be "negligent" if they failed to bring Sergio Ramos back to the club one day, according to former team-mate Toni Kroos.

The LaLiga giants announced last week that the long-serving centre-back is to leave the club after a remarkable 16-year spell in the Spanish capital.

Ramos won LaLiga five times with Madrid and helped Los Blancos to four Champions League titles, among an array of other major honours.

But the Spain international will start a new adventure next season after Madrid withdrew their offer of a one-year deal on reduced terms, as confirmed by the long-serving defender.

Kroos spent seven seasons playing in the same side as Ramos and believes the 35-year-old will return to the Santiago Bernabeu in the future.

"I am sure we will see him at Real Madrid again, whatever his role," Kroos said on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast.

"It would also be negligent not to have someone like that at the club and keep him. He can still contribute a lot in the future."

Ramos joined Madrid from Sevilla in 2005 and made 659 appearances for the club in all competitions, the last of those coming against Chelsea on May 5.

Kroos, who has two more years to run on his contract, admits it is difficult to envisage a future without the experienced defender at Madrid.

"I do not know Real Madrid without Ramos," he said. "It was inconceivable that he was not going to finish his career at Madrid. I expected him to stay.

"He is not only a first-rate player, but also the best captain I have ever seen because he always fought for the team on and off the field.

"If you ask 100 rival forwards which defender they least liked playing against, Ramos' name will be mentioned quite often. It was good to have him on our team."

The 21 games Ramos managed in an injury-plagued 2020-21, totalling 1,790 minutes, was the fewest he has played across a season since joining 16 years ago.

His previous lowest tally was the 33 matches he played in 2015-16, totalling 2,843 minutes in all competitions.

Ramos was left out of Spain's Euro 2020 squad due to his injury issues, but he has been linked with a string of big-name clubs ahead of the new campaign.

"I'm not sure where he will go next, but I'm sure he will make a good decision," Kroos added. "The seven years I spent with him, as a player and as a person, were incredible."

Barcelona have announced that forward Ousmane Dembele will undergo surgery on his injured knee in Finland next Monday.

The 24-year-old sustained the damage after coming on as a substitute in France's 1-1 Euro 2020 draw with Hungary on Saturday, managing just 30 minutes before being replaced by Thomas Lemar. 

France confirmed on Monday that Dembele would play no further part in the tournament, and further tests carried out by Barca on Tuesday revealed a dislocation of the biceps tendon in his right knee.

Providing another update on their official website on Wednesday, a Barcelona statement read: "Ousmane Dembele is to undergo surgery on June 28 in Turku, Finland. 

"Doctor Lasse Lempainen will be performing the operation on the Frenchman's dislocated biceps tendon in his right knee, under the watchful eye of the FC Barcelona medical services."

While no timetable was provided for Dembele's recovery, reports in the Spanish media suggest he could be sidelined for three to four months.

He took to social media on Tuesday to thank well-wishers and vowed to come back stronger from his latest injury lay-off.

"Hi all, as you may have read or heard here and there, it is time for me to leave the France team," he posted on Instagram.

"It's just a goodbye as they say! I will come back even stronger as I always have. The challenges make me grow.

"The weeks we spent training and surpassing ourselves have united us like never before. This group is strong and I know it. We all know each other!

"So I join you and become a supporter of Les Bleus!

"We must follow through on what we have started and, as always, give the best of ourselves. I trust us, I trust them!

"As for me, I will return very soon and thank you for your essential support!"

Dembele's career since his move to Barca from Borussia Dortmund for €105million four years ago has been blighted by injury setbacks.

The 24-year-old has managed just 54 LaLiga starts in four seasons at Camp Nou, while last season he completed 90 minutes in the league on just five occasions.

Barcelona have strengthened their attacking options for the 2021-22 season with the additions of Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, both forwards joining on free transfers.

UEFA says it is "proud to wear the colours of the rainbow" amid controversy over the decision to reject Germany's request to light up the Allianz Arena for Wednesday's Euro 2020 clash with Hungary.

Mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter asked the European football governing body for permission to illuminate the stadium in rainbow colours in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

He made the request after Hungary last week passed a law that prohibits the sharing of content in schools that could be deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change.

However, UEFA proposed alternative dates for the ground to be lit up as the gesture was deemed to be of a political nature.

"Given the political context of this specific request – a message aiming at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament – UEFA must decline this request," a statement read on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer expressed regret at the decision from the European governing body, while Reiter labelled it "shameful" and criticised the German Football Federation for failing to support the request.

But UEFA issued another statement on Wednesday to defend itself amid the widespread criticism, stressing its own commitment to fighting against any form of discrimination.

"Today, UEFA is proud to wear the colours of the rainbow," the statement read.

"It is a symbol that embodies our core values, promoting everything that we believe in – a more just and egalitarian society, tolerant of everyone, regardless of their background, belief or gender.

"Some people have interpreted UEFA's decision to turn down the city of Munich's request to illuminate the Munich stadium in rainbow colours for a EURO 2020 match as 'political'. 

"On the contrary, the request itself was political, linked to the Hungarian football team's presence in the stadium for this evening's match with Germany.

"For UEFA, the rainbow is not a political symbol, but a sign of our firm commitment to a more diverse and inclusive society."

UEFA last week opened an investigation into Manuel Neuer wearing a rainbow-coloured captain's armband in his side's opening two Euro 2020 games.

But the probe was halted after the governing body deemed it "a good cause".

Luuk de Jong will play no further part in Euro 2020 after the Netherlands striker was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a knee injury.

The Sevilla forward was hurt in training earlier this week following a challenge with Cody Gakpo and Oranje boss Frank de Boer will no longer be able to call on his services.

A statement from the Dutch FA read: "Luuk de Jong is forced to leave the training camp of the Dutch national team. 

"The Sevilla striker injured the inner tube of the knee during training on Tuesday. As a result, the 38-time international can no longer play for the Orange this European Championship."

De Jong had only played a bit part thus far for the Dutch, playing 10 minutes as a substitute over the course of the opening two matches against Ukraine and Austria.

However, he has proven a valuable weapon off the bench in the past. Indeed, since making his debut in 2011 no player has registered more than his five goals for the national team as a substitute (level with Memphis Depay).

It marks another injury blow for De Boer, who also lost Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek to a groin issue.

Jack Grealish harbours ambitions of following in the footsteps of Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney by displaying his talent on an international stage after impressing in England's win over the Czech Republic.

The Aston Villa attacking midfielder was afforded his opportunity to start in the Three Lions' final Euro 2020 Group D fixture, having only appeared as a substitute against Scotland in their opening two matches.

Fans and pundits alike had been clamouring for Grealish to be given a chance and it was the 25-year-old who provided the delicate chipped cross for Raheem Sterling to nod in the only goal in a 1-0 win that secured top spot in the pool.

As well as his assist, Grealish completed 83.3 per cent of his passes in the opposition half, won 62.5 per cent of his duels and drew three fouls for his team – the latter a trait many suggest should see him start more regularly due to England's perceived strength at set-pieces.

Grealish's charisma off the pitch as well as his courageous attacking play on it have drawn comparisons to some of England's stars of the past such as Gascoigne and Rooney, and the man himself is eager to be revered by fans for his displays at the tournament.

"I have spoken about how big these tournaments can be in players' careers," Grealish said in quotes reported by Sky Sports.

"If you look back and think of Gazza at Italia 90, that is where he first made a… well he was obviously still well known before, but I think everyone remembers him for that tournament especially.

"You look at Wayne Rooney in Euro 2004 – I think that was where he set his marker to say I am going to be one of the best in the world.

"I am hoping to follow in their footsteps and hopefully I can do that if I get more chances in this tournament."

Grealish made his England bow back in September and has nine caps to his name but has yet to cement his place in Gareth Southgate's starting XI.

The external noise for Grealish to be given a more prominent role only increased after a drab goalless draw against Scotland, but he insists there was no added pressure on his shoulders to perform.

"I don't think it is pressure. I love playing football. That is what I am paid to do. That is what I have been born to do," he added.

"I just play football every day of my life. When I go out there and play it is no pressure on me whatsoever. I go out there and just enjoy myself like I always do.

"I felt like I had a good performance good but I still maybe felt like in the second half I could have got on the ball a little more and probably tried to dictate the game a little more from an England point of view."

The Premier League's big-money clubs are circling for Aston Villa's Jack Grealish.

The England midfielder is drawing interest from multiple suitors keen to lure him away from Villa Park.

Could a move be on the cards after the Euros? 

TOP STORY – BLUES WANT GREALISH

Chelsea are strong contenders to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, Football Insider reports. 

The England international has also drawn interest from Manchester City, but the Blues' involvement could change the dynamic. 

Football Insider claims owner Roman Abramovich has approved the type of expenditures that would be necessary to land players like Grealish, and winning the Champions League will only loosen the reins on Chelsea's spending. 

ROUND-UP

- Kylian Mbappe wants to move on from Paris Saint-Germain, according to RMC Sport, which says the France international will depart on a free transfer when his contract expires next year if he does not move during this window. 

- Lionel Messi's long-anticipated new contract with Barcelona could be announced as soon as Thursday, according to Le 10 Sport. 

- If Man City are to complete a deal to land Harry Kane from Tottenham, they will need to do it without using Raheem Sterling in a swap deal. Sterling has no interested in joining Spurs as part of the reported £100million move for Kane, ESPN said. 

- Sergio Ramos plans to join PSG, AS reports, spurning interest from City and Manchester United. 

- Chelsea see Villarreal's Gerard Moreno as a fall-back option if they cannot sign Erling Haaland, according to Fichajes. 

- Milan are looking at Rafinha of PSG as a potential addition as Hakan Calhanoglu moves on, Calciomercato reports. 

- England defender James Tarkowski is drawing interest from Wolves and West Ham, the Telegraph reports, while the Mail says Leicester City also are eyeing the Burnley man. 

- Scott Parker is set to depart Fulham and become Bournemouth's new manager, The Athletic reports. 

Daryl Dike and Benji Michel each netted a brace for Orlando City in a 5-0 rout of San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday. 

The comfortable win moved the Lions clear of Philadelphia to sit alone in second place behind New England Revolution in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. 

Nani opened the scoring from the spot in the seventh minute and the Orlando native Michel followed with his first goal of the season after 16 minutes. 

The USA international Dike put the game out of reach, netting in the 31st and 49th minutes with Nani assisting on both goals. 

Dike was making his first start since returning to Orlando City from a loan to Barnsley, where the 21-year-old scored nine goals in 22 appearances in all competition for the Championship side after his move during the January transfer window. 

While Dike departed after 71 minutes, Michel played the entire match for the first time this season and closed the scoring in the 90th minute. 

Gareth Southgate lauded Bukayo Saka for earning his England chance and grabbing it in Tuesday's Euro 2020 win over the Czech Republic.

Raheem Sterling's 12th-minute goal was enough for the Three Lions to earn top spot in Group D and secure a home last-16 tie at Wembley, even though France, Portugal and Germany comprise a daunting list of potential opponents.

Mason Mount being forced to self-isolate meant Southgate was able to satisfy a national clamour to start Jack Grealish.

The Aston Villa playmaker supplied the cross for Sterling to head his and England's second goal of the tournament and provide flashes of skill to bring the Wembley crowd to their feet.

But it was Arsenal teenager Saka – a surprise inclusion ahead of the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford – who was the most consistently impressive attacker on display, with his driving run and neat close control key in the move for Sterling's winner.

"Bukayo, I can't speak highly enough of him," Southgate said after the winger was named UEFA's Star of the Match.

"He's earned that opportunity. His performances in training since he's joined this camp have been outstanding.

"He played well in the game at the Riverside [a 1-0 win over Austria where Saka scored the winner]. We've talked about playing him in some of the previous matches.

"He earned that chance tonight and he's grabbed it. He was fabulous."

While Saka is enjoying his international breakthrough, Sterling has been a mainstay for Southgate.

Patchy form for Manchester City in the second half of this season led to calls for the 26-year-old to be dropped but the England manager's faith never wavered in a player who now has 14 goals for his country since failing to find the net at the 2018 World Cup.

"We always felt that we can’t have all the scoring burden lie with Harry [Kane] and over the past couple of years – probably since the game in Seville [a 3-2 Nations League win over Spain where Sterling scored twice], that was a real lift-off moment for Raheem – he's transferred his club goalscoring form into the matches with us.

"When you can get wide players scoring in that way as well it's a huge lift for the team.

"We've had no doubts about [Sterling], we were very clear on that.

"We know at the end of the season he wasn't necessarily a regular for his club but perhaps we're reaping the benefit of that in that he's a little bit fresher than he might have been."

Harry Maguire headed into the tournament far from fresh, nursing an ankle injury that ruled him out of Manchester United's Europa League final penalty shootout loss to Villarreal.

But the centre-back returned to partner with John Stones and led England to a third clean sheet out of three at Euro 2016, producing an authoritative performance.

"Harry has that presence and composure," Southgate said. "His pass through to Kane in the first half was a fabulous ball through the lines. There aren't many defenders in world football who can do that.

"It was important for him to get those 90 minutes.

Southgate added: "We've noted over the last 12 months and certainly the last six months that when you become the captain of Manchester United the impact that must have on your confidence – the improvement in his leadership and desire to step forward and have an influence on the wider group shines through."

Steve Clarke spoke of his pride after Scotland's first major tournament appearance in 23 years ended in a 3-1 defeat to Croatia.

But the 57-year-old also shared his belief that the disparity in tournament experience between the two sides was a decisive factor in the Scots exiting Euro 2020 at the group stage.

Having picked up just a point from their opening two games, both Scotland and Croatia needed a win at Hampden Park to secure a place in the round of 16.

And it was the visitors who got it, with Nikola Vlasic, Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic goals rendering a Callum McGregor equaliser - the first Scottish European Championship goal since Ally McCoist against Switzerland on June 18, 1996 - irrelevant.

Reflecting on the defeat, Clarke told ITV: "I'm proud of the players, the fact they managed to get here for the first time in 23 years, that was a big thing for the country, a big thing for this group of players. 

"I think you saw tonight a team that's tournament-hardened, Croatia, against a team at their first tournament in a long time. 

"We had a little spell just before half-time when we got the goal and looked exciting but Croatia are a top team and they showed that tonight."

Clarke declared a 2-0 defeat to the Czech Republic in the first group game to be a decisive result in an all-too-brief Scotland campaign.

But he has backed his young squad to learn important lessons from their first major international tournament.

He added: "I think we'll go away and learn from it for sure. Obviously starting on the back foot with losing the first game is something you'd need to address in the next one because that set us up for a difficult one. 

"We left everything on the pitch at Wembley against England on Friday and couldn't quite get it tonight. 

"I think through all the three games they've acquitted themselves well, they've tried their best, showed some good qualities. Obviously, as a coach I don't like to concede so many goals, it's something we have to work on a little bit, but we can improve. 

"We've got young players in the squad, it's a relatively young group of players, and we want to improve together and hopefully we can do that."

Captain Andy Robertson echoed his manager's sentiments and urged his team-mates to turn this into a glorious era for Scotland by ensuring they also qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next year.

He said: "We're a squad that still has a lot of potential, still relatively new to this and not a lot of caps between us and it's important we build on this. 

"It's important we don't take this as the high for this squad because we're a good team on our day and now we need to focus on September. 

"I know it's a long way away, we need to go away on holiday and finally rest, but come September we need to try and qualify for another tournament because it can't go another 23 years. 

"We want to be a team that qualifies for many tournaments and it become the norm that Scotland qualify. 

"That's in our own hands, but we'll think about that another day."

As for the Croatia skipper, Modric, he preferred to revel in his nation sealing safe passage to the knockout stages in second place behind England rather than the wonderful curler he netted to set up the win.

The Real Madrid midfielder is now his country's oldest and youngest ever scorer at a European Championship, having done so at both 35 years and 286 days and 22 years 73 days old.

He told Euro2020.com: "This goal means a lot to me but our play means more, from the beginning until the end. I am happy that my goal helped, but it's most important that the team won.

"We are happy because we played a big match and qualified for the next round.

"We were not happy with performances in the first two matches and we knew we could be better. When we play like this, we are dangerous to everyone."