THE tournament director of Euro 2024 has praised the Tartan Army for doing “everything right” during the national team’s run in the competition.
In an article for The Observer, former German international and Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm said that he was already missing the atmosphere Scottish fans brought to the Euros.
“They did everything right,” he said.
“They marched through Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart singing.
“Even in cities where they weren’t playing, they infected everyone with their good humour.
“Scottish fans really wanted to play a match against my home club, FT Gern.
“It took place the day after the opening game and afterwards everyone sat together in the clubhouse until late at night.
“They used this tournament to celebrate with others. They want to be part of Europe.
“It’s not just the caterers who will miss them. I’ve been asked what bothers me most about this Euros. I said that the Scots have already gone home.
“Participating in the event, sharing in the excitement of victory and defeat, orderly escalation – that’s what every sporting event is about, whether in the arena or on the village square.
“The whole thing makes us resilient and prevents worse things from happening in the world.
“That is the calming effect of sporting events. Writers and sociologists say that; I see it the same way.
“Let’s be who we are, let’s all be Scots!”
The conduct of the Tartan Army has been regularly praised during the team’s run of games in the group stages, with German newspapers and even the Mayor of Cologne thanking fans for their enthusiasm.
While Steve Clarke’s team dropped out of the tournament following a 1-0 defeat to Hungary, the sentiment expressed by Lahm shows that despite not recording a win in the tournament Scotland has made its mark on the Euros.
He continued: “A lot of things come to a head in sport, and these Euros are no exception.
“That’s why culture is important. There’s no point in criticising major events in principle.
“Their value is evident these days. And in this sense, more Europe means being more Scottish.”
It comes after VisitScotland reported that German interest in coming to Scotland “almost doubled” due to the Tartan Army’s popularity in the Euros.
