- author, Jonathan Geddes
- Role, BBC Scotland News
There has been optimism and excitement across Scotland as the national team prepares to take on Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024.
But the Tartan Army suffered a miserable night as Germany won 5-1.
It took just 10 minutes before the three-time European champion took the lead through Florian Wirtz.
Worse soon followed in a disastrous first half as Jamal Musiala doubled the Germans’ lead.
A Kai Havertz penalty almost ended the game at the end of the first half after Ryan Porteous was shown a straight red card.
Substitute Niklas Volkrug made it 4-0 in the second half before Antonio Rudiger scored a late own goal to give Scotland fans something to cheer about.
But in stoppage time, Emre Can added a fifth goal to seal the biggest opener in the tournament’s 66-year history.
Anticipation of Scotland’s first international tournament on foreign soil since the 1998 World Cup in France saw fans gather across the country in pubs and fan zones.
An estimated 200,000 people made the pilgrimage to Germany to welcome Steve Clarke’s men.
Despite facing off against the Championship hosts, many fans were in an upbeat mood ahead of the match and the bar staff were gearing up for an action-packed night.
Jennifer Morrison, event director at Glasgow’s Merchant Square, said preparations for the match had been underway “for months”, with hundreds of people entering the doors.
Many expected a good result, with one even saying it felt like “Christmas Eve” in the build-up to the match.
More than 1,200 fans gathered on the platform in Glasgow city centre, wearing Scotland shirts from across the years and waving Salters kits.
But the good mood faded quickly, and by half-time many were simply hoping it wouldn’t get any worse.
David Hunter, from Hamilton, told BBC Scotland News: “I feel absolutely exhausted.
“We always said it was difficult to go to Munich and get a result in the first game.
“It’s damage limits right now.”
Allie McGinigal, 37, from Denniston, was already looking forward to Scotland’s remaining matches against Switzerland on Wednesday and Hungary on June 23.
“There are still two games to go. Strange things have happened,” he said.
He added: “As a Scotland fan, I know now that I expect the minimum, and then if something good happens it will be a bonus.”
In Munich, where thousands watched the match in the city’s Fan Park, fans remained optimistic about the future.
One fan said: “The other two teams are not at the same level as Germany, so we are still optimistic. We are still optimistic. Let’s go to Scotland.”
Another added: “We knew that with the injuries and stuff, it would be a bit difficult, but we expected more than what just happened. But we still have two games left in the group, so we will win the title.” The next two matches.”
There was a feeling of gloom across the country at fan zones set up in the hope of a party.
At Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium, the soundtrack of Deacon Blue’s Dignity failed to lift spirits.
At Riverside Park in Dundee, fans endured bad weather before kick-off.
One fan in the Inverness fan zone described the result as “embarrassing” and “very bad” while another described the performance as “disgusting”.
But others maintained some hope, saying the team needed to “keep its head up” for the remaining matches.
At Dunfermline’s East End Park, three generations of one family were in attendance with Peter Nellis joined by his daughter Maria and grandchildren Mason, Megan and Caitlin.
Meghan told BBC Scotland News: “It’s good for people like me, because I’m not allowed into pubs because of my age, so it’s good to be in places like this where we can get a nice atmosphere for the matches.”
But perhaps one young fan summed up the match best.
He simply said: “Everyone was so bad.”
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