Men’s National Team to play June friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland
Garmisch-Partenkirchen confirmed as Scotland’s UEFA EURO 2024 team base camp
Gibraltar v Scotland
Monday, 3 June 2024 (kick-off: TBC)
Estadio Algarve, Faro, Portugal
Scotland v Finland
Friday, 7 June 2024 (kick-off 7.45pm)
Hampden Park, Glasgow
The Scotland Men’s National Team will complete their UEFA EURO 2024 preparations when they take on Gibraltar and Finland in friendly matches in June this year, with the team base camp for the tournament also confirmed as the Bavarian resort Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Scotland will travel to Portugal for the first of their friendly matches where they will take on Gibraltar in the Estadio Algarve on Monday, 3 June.
Steve Clarke’s side will then welcome Finland to Hampden Park on Friday, 7 June for what is sure to be a party atmosphere as the Scotland supporters get the opportunity to cheer on the national team one final time before they depart for Germany two days later.
The Estadio Algarve was also the venue for Scotland’s UEFA EURO 2020 warm-up match against the Netherlands in June 2021, a game that Scotland drew 2-2 with goals from Jack Hendry and Kevin Nisbet.
Scotland have played Gibraltar on two occasions, both in 2015 in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying. Scotland scored six goals in each match, with Steven Fletcher netting a hat-trick in both games.
Finland meanwhile, have provided the opposition for Scotland on eight occasions since the nations first met in 1954, Scotland winning six times and drawing twice. The sides last met in another tournament warm-up match, a 1-1 draw in a friendly at Easter Road in April 1998 as Scotland prepared for the FIFA World Cup in France that summer.
With the final preparation matches now set, Scotland have also confirmed their UEFA EURO 2024 team base camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Head Coach Steve Clarke, assistant John Carver and Performance Director Graeme Jones visited the base camp last week, which lies at the foot of Germany’s highest peak, Zugspitze.
It will be the squad’s headquarters for the duration of the finals campaign, which kicks-off with the tournament’s opening match against the hosts, Germany, in FC Bayern’s Allianz Arena.
Scotland will stay at Obermühle, a 120-room luxury resort that combines modern specification and alpine lifestyle with the tradition of being a family-owned establishment for the last century.
The team training ground is a short walk from the hotel and the delegation were greeted warmly by District Administrator Anton Speer and Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s Mayor, Elisabeth Koch.
Scotland Head Coach Steve Clarke: “It was important for us to finalise our preparations for EURO 2024 as soon as possible and I’m very pleased to have confirmed our final friendly matches and secured our first-choice base camp for the tournament.
“Garmisch-Partenkirchen will make for a comfortable base for our players and backroom staff for the duration of our stay at the tournament and the warm welcome we have received from the local community so far bodes well for when we are in camp there this summer.
“With Gibraltar and Finland confirmed as the final opposition before we take on Germany in the opening match of the tournament my players and coaching staff can now concentrate on ensuring we are in the best shape possible for it.
“I am particularly pleased that our final match before the tournament will be at Hampden and I am looking forward to experiencing what I am sure will be a raucous atmosphere in front of a full house of Scotland supporters that evening.”
Graeme Jones, Scottish FA Performance Director: “From the moment we qualified, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was our preferred location for team base camp and to be honest, I was more excited that the draw enabled us to have our first pick than I was at playing the opening match.
“The priority is making sure the players have the best preparation possible for the Euros and Obermühle gives us a perfect balance of first-class facilities and a breathtaking, tranquil setting for the players to focus on the challenges ahead.
“The hotel staff, the Mayor and District Administrator could not have been more welcoming during the site visit and now that the base camp is confirmed, we look forward to building-up to the Euros starting with our matches against Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March.”
Ticket information for the matches will be released in due course.