Soccer Football - Nations League - Play-offs - Second Leg - Scotland v Greece - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - March 23, 2025 Scotland coach Steve Clarke before the match Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
(Reuters) - Scotland's defeat to Greece in their playoff second leg confirmed their relegation to Nations League B but manager Steve Clarke said it was just a bump in the road and how they react will be crucial.
The Scots were relegated to the second tier of the Nations League after Greece breezed past them 3-0 at Hampden Park on Sunday for an aggregate 3-1 win.
While it was a disappointing night for the home side, Clarke was determined to put things right when they play the Greeks again for two FIFA World Cup European qualifiers in October and November.
"We've had a decent run. This is a bump in the road," Clarke told reporters. "If there's one thing I've learned over my time in charge of the national team, it's that there are bumps in the road. It's how you react to it.
"We have to react to this one and make sure that, come June, we know what we're trying to address, and come September, we know what we're trying to do, which is qualify for a World Cup."
But Clarke knew they must quickly go back to the drawing board if they are to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after being outclassed by Greece.
"I'll go away and look at myself to see what I could have done better. Maybe I didn't make enough rotations. Maybe I could have made more to freshen the team up...," Clarke said.
"We've learned that when we do everything right, with the ball and without the ball, we're a good team at this level. We've got two friendlies in June (against Iceland and Liechtenstein) to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers in the autumn."
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)
