In October 2015, a Scotland side that had failed to qualify for the following summer’s European Championship was cheered from the rooftops at Estádio Algarve as Gibraltar were seen off 6-0. Gordon Strachan, buoyed by this giddy scene, opted to stay on for another campaign; which Scotland botched as well. Looking back, celebration despite these unsuccessful attempts to reach finals feels cringeworthy.
Scotland’s return to the outskirts of Faro came in altogether different circumstances. The Tartan Army did not bother travelling to Portugal en masse. They have much bigger fish to fry. A week on Friday, Steve Clarke’s team will kick off Euro 2024 with a clash against Germany, the tournament hosts.
