As the clock ticked towards midnight, Steve Clarke finally approached the podium in the press conference room at the Stuttgart Arena. The long-awaited inquest was about to begin, and it promised to be a lengthy affair. However, on this particular night, it was not to be. His post-match briefing lasted a mere five minutes and four seconds. The Scotland manager expressed disappointment, sadness, and anger following the 1-0 defeat to Hungary, marking Scotland’s 12th early exit from major finals since 1954.
Clarke was particularly frustrated by the referee’s refusal to award a penalty when Stuart Armstrong was fouled, a moment that he believed defined the game. He also questioned why a South American referee was officiating a European competition, expressing his disapproval of the UEFA-CONMEBOL job share agreement.
The lack of goals had been a recurring issue for Scotland, and Clarke acknowledged the need to address this moving forward. Despite the defeat, he commended his players’ effort and refused to blame injuries for their shortcomings, choosing instead to focus on the present moment.
In the end, Clarke remained determined to learn from this experience and improve the team’s performance in the future, emphasizing the importance of analyzing the game and working towards scoring more goals effectively.
