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European nations we rarely play


Donathan

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In light of the rumoured friendly in Diyarbakir against Turkey, I realised we have only ever played them once, another friendly back in 1960. Absolutely incredible that we’ve never been drawn against them in the dozens of qualifying campaigns since.

 

What other UEFA members have we rarely played?

 

Albania: 2018-19 nations league

Andorra: I can’t remember us ever playing them?

Armenia: Current nations league

Austria: 2022 WCQ and a fairly common friendly opponent 

Azebaijan: Never? 

Belarus: 2006 WCQ (1 point out of 6!!) 

Belgium: 2002 and 2014 WCQ and Euro 2020 qualifying 

Bosnia: Never IIRC

Bulgaria: Think we played them in a friendly in Japan in 2005?

Croatia: 2002 and 2014 WCQ and of course the Euros 

Cyprus: Euro 2020 qualifying

Czech Republic: I think we had them in 2010 WCQ (or Euro 2012?), the 2020-21 UNL and Euro 2020 finals. Also possibly a friendly under Craig Levein? 

Denmark: 2022 WCQ and possibly some friendlies this century 

England: Euro 2020, 2018 WCQ, a pair of friendlies around 10 years ago 

Estonia: Never in my memory but I’ve heard of the incident where they didn’t turn up to a game against us

Faroe Islands: Fairly common opponent. I think we’ve had them in three qualifying groups this century (2002, 2008 and 2022)

Finland: Never?

France: 2008 qualifiers and I think we played them in friendlies in Vogts’ first match and again in 2016

Georgia: Far too common an opponent. 2008 and 2016 qualifiers and we lost there both times.

Germany: 2004 and 2016 qualifiers.

Gibraltar: 2016 qualifiers. 

Greece: Never IIRC?

Hungary: Never competitively IIRC but I think they did hump us in a friendly under Vogts

Iceland: 2002 qualifiers and I want to say 2010. We had a decent record against them and thankfully avoided them when they were good for a period. 

Israel: They’d have been a prime candidate for this list as recently as 2017 and we then proceeded to draw them for two straight UNL groups, a WCQ group, and a ECQ playoff. 7 games in three years after not seeing them for decades. 

Italy: 2006 and 2008 qualifiers. Friendly in 2016.

Kazakhstan: 2020 qualifiers (didn’t end well) 

Kosovo: Never

Latvia: 2002 qualifying. 

Liechtenstein: 2010/2012 qualifying (I get mixed up between those)

Lithuania: Probably our most common competitive opponent of the 21st century. We’ve had them in four different groups and only had maximum points once. 

Luxembourg: No memory of competitive games but we played them in a pre Euros friendly. 

Malta: 2018 qualifiers.

Moldova: 2006 and 2022 qualifiers.

Montenegro: Never

Netherlands: 2004 playoffs and 2010 qualifying, plus a friendly before the euros 

North Macedonia: 2010 and 2014 qualifiers. Annoying opponent. 

Northern Ireland: Fairly common friendly opponent this century but no memory of competitive fixtures 

Norway: Had them twice in groups around 10-15 years ago. 

Poland: 2016 qualifiers

Portugal: Never?

Ireland: Current UNL and 2016 qualifiers plus a few friendlies 

Romania: Never

Russia: 2020 qualifiers 

San Marino: 2002 qualifiers and 2020

Serbia: 2020 playoffs 

Slovakia: 2018 qualifiers and previous UNL

Slovenia: 2006 and 2018 qualifiers 

Spain: 2012 qualifiers?

Sweden: No memory of competitive bouts but I think a few friendlies 

Switzerland: Never?

Turkey: Once in a friendly in 1960

Ukraine: Three times this year alone

Wales: 2014 qualifiers and quite a few friendlies 

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We played Bosnia in Euro 96 qualifying, Estonia in WC 98 qualifying (as mentioned with the game where they didn't turn up), Romania in Euro 92 qualifying and Sweden in WC 98 qualifying. Finland we definitely played in a friendly in the 90s.

We played Switzerland at Euro 96 and also WC94 qualifying and Luxembourg in Euro 88 qualifying.

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3 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

We played Bosnia in Euro 96 qualifying, Estonia in WC 98 qualifying (as mentioned with the game where they didn't turn up), Romania in Euro 92 qualifying and Sweden in WC 98 qualifying. Finland we definitely played in a friendly in the 90s.

We played Switzerland at Euro 96 and also WC94 qualifying and Luxembourg in Euro 88 qualifying.

So that leaves Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Montenegro as our genuinely rare opponents. The latter two (arguably three) unsurprising given they’re among the newest members of UEFA. 
 

I wonder if we might end up with any of them in the euros draw a week on Sunday 

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We played Switzerland at Euro 96 (and in WC 94 qualifying), plus friendly under Walter Smith.

Romania in Euro 92 qualifying, plus friendly under Vogts which crippled John Kennedy.

Sweden in friendlies since millennium, including at Easter Road with Tommy Burns deputising.

Bosnia-Herzegovina in Euro 2000 qualifying. Bulgaria in Euro 92 qualifying, and Kirin Cup 2005. We've played Estonia numerous times since 'One Team in Tallinn' e.g. Euro 2000 qualifying, friendly under Vogts, another at Pittodrie around 2013.

Greece and Finland in Euro 96 qualifying, also friendly at Tynecastle v Finns late 1990s. Hungary away in a friendly only a few years ago. Northern Ireland in WC 82 qualifying, and 2011 'Nations Cup'. Norway in a friendly in Molde under Strachan.

Portugal battered us in WC 94 qualifying and contested friendlies since e.g. in Braga under Vogts.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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We played Bosnia in Euro 96 qualifying, Estonia in WC 98 qualifying (as mentioned with the game where they didn't turn up), Romania in Euro 92 qualifying and Sweden in WC 98 qualifying. Finland we definitely played in a friendly in the 90s.

We played Switzerland at Euro 96 and also WC94 qualifying and Luxembourg in Euro 88 qualifying.

Didn't we play Finland in the Euro 96 qualifiers too?

Just checked: we did indeed.
https://www.11v11.com/matches/scotland-v-finland-06-september-1995-245974/

Away fixture as well, obviously.
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1 hour ago, Donathan said:

So that leaves Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Montenegro as our genuinely rare opponents. The latter two (arguably three) unsurprising given they’re among the newest members of UEFA. 
 

I wonder if we might end up with any of them in the euros draw a week on Sunday 

Your posts suggest you must be about 7...or I'm about 100.

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Bulgaria, Euro 88 qualifying. Hearts 'legend' Gary Mackay scored in a 1-0 away win which helped seal qualification for Ireland.

1 minute ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

Did we not play Portugal, early 90's , I was only a kid then but something is making me mind Gough getting sent off and them skudding us 5-0 or something like that.

I have vague memories of McCoist breaking his leg in that game, can any P&Bers confirm?

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Soccer Nostalgia: April 28, 1993 Portugal 5-Scotland 0
 

-Switzerland and Italy qualified from this World Cup Qualifying Group.

-Scotland’s Eion Jess missed this match with a broken ankle.
 
-Portugal’s only foreign-based players were Barros and Oceano. Scotland’s players were all British based.
 
-Ally Mc Coist was carried off in the 83rd minute with a fractured leg. Scotland having already made both its substitutions was forced to play with ten men.
 
-This was Scotland’s worst defeat since losing to England 0-5 in 1973 and 3-9 in 1961.
This was Scotland’s worst defeat vs. non-British opposition since losing 0-7 to Uruguay during the 1954 World Cup.

-At the post-match analysis, Scotland manager Roxburgh said  'a team died out there!'
 

-Scotland Captain Richard Gough quit the Scotland team in disgust after a bitter dispute with the manager over the tactics for the game. He ended his national team career after 10 years after this match. He claimed Scotland’s tactics for this match were decided following a conversation the coaching staff had with a Lisbon taxi driver.
 

 

Edited by HibeeJibee
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Just for the OP, there was a time when Estonia were our Israel, and we were thoroughly sick of them. Funny how that happens with sides, considering we didn't play Israel for decades.

2 minutes ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

Did we not play Portugal, early 90's , I was only a kid then but something is making me mind Gough getting sent off and them skudding us 5-0 or something like that.

They just thoroughly outplayed us, and it's probably hard for younger fans to imagine how dark a day that was. Pundits were talking about how a pall would hang over Scottish football until the next time we gave a thorough scudding to a nation of similar standing. That's literally never happened in the three decades since.

You might be thinking of another game in the World Cup 94 qualifiers where we lost to the Swiss, with Richard Gough inexplicably catching the ball and getting sent off. We'd already lost by that point, however.

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Bulgaria, Euro 88 qualifying. Hearts 'legend' Gary Mackay scored in a 1-0 away win which helped seal qualification for Ireland.
I have vague memories of McCoist breaking his leg in that game, can any P&Bers confirm?
McCoist breaking his leg rings a bell now you mention it, did he not score on his comeback v Hibs in the cup final at Parkhead because Hampden was getting renovated.
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Just for the OP, there was a time when Estonia were our Israel, and we were thoroughly sick of them. Funny how that happens with sides, considering we didn't play Israel for decades.
They just thoroughly outplayed us, and it's probably hard for younger fans to imagine how dark a day that was. Pundits were talking about how a pall would hang over Scottish football until the next time we gave a thorough scudding to a nation of similar standing. That's literally never happened in the three decades since.
You might be thinking of another game in the World Cup 94 qualifiers where we lost to the Swiss, with Richard Gough inexplicably catching the ball and getting sent off. We'd already lost by that point, however.
Yeah that was what I thinking off, I can mind Gough catching the ball for some strange reason against someone
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17 minutes ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

Yeah that was what I thinking off, I can mind Gough catching the ball for some strange reason against someone

IIRC, he thought that he heard the ref's whistle. Unfortunately, he was wrong, and looking at it again, he stopped one of the Swiss players from being through on goal, so the ref didn't have much choice. It was stupid, but I doubt it was actually deliberate, as the game was virtually lost at 3-1 with less than ten minutes to go.

I'd either forgotten or didn't know that Gough quit after the hammering by Portugal, claiming that the gameplan had been based on a chat with a Lisbon taxi driver. Sounds like bollocks until you remember some of the other ridiculous attempts at "preparation" that Scotland sides have endured down the decades  :unsure:

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