Scotland thrashed by Germany in opening match of Euro 2024
Scotland have suffered a horror start at Euro 2024 with a 5-1 thumping by Germany in the tournament’s opening match.
They had a big hill to climb from early on after an opener from Florian Wirtz in the 10th minute was followed by a second from Jamal Musiala.
Musiala, who had a great opening match, slammed the ball into the roof of the net to significantly dampen the spirits of the Tartan Army.
It went from bad to worse when Ryan Porteous was sent off for fouling Ilkay Gundogan in the box just before half-time – with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz converting the penalty.
Jamal Musiala scored a cracking second goal for Germany
Scotland’s Ryan Porteous was sent off for fouling Ilkay Gundogan
Manchester United legend Roy Keane savaged Scotland as being “out of their depth”, saying “the difference in quality was chalk and cheese”.
“Robertson said Scotland weren’t aggressive enough – you have to be aggressive in a game of football,” said Keane on ITV.
“When you’re up against opposition who are much stronger than you, being aggressive is part of being a footballer.”
Germany were equally dominant after the break and Niclas Fullkrug added another to make it 4-0.
There was a sliver of consolation as an Antonio Rudiger own goal in the 87th minute gave Scotland fans a brief moment of celebration.
However, Emre Can struck in stoppage time to make it 5-1 – the worst opening match defeat ever in the Euros.
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Quality of Scottish football exposed
A brutal reality check for Scotland.
A 5-1 thumping by Germany isn’t terminal for their hopes of making it into the Euro 2024 knockout phase.
Even just winning one of their remaining Group A games against Switzerland or Hungary could be enough to stay in Germany – but the quality of Scottish football was exposed by the hosts.
You could see in Munich why Scotland’s squad is valued at £175m and Germany’s would cost £700m to assemble, according to the player valuation trackers at Transfermarkt.
Maybe holding out for 10 minutes before conceding was the only surprise.
The Scots were suffocated from the start by a Germany side enjoying the benefits of home comforts in Munich.
The visiting defence just couldn’t cope before Florian Wirtz’s opener and goalkeeper Angus Gunn couldn’t stop the power of Jamal Musiala’s strike after 19 minutes.
There was one VAR penalty reprieve, but not another when Ryan Porteous was sent off for a lunging tackle. How did he think he could get away with that with VAR?
At least there was clarity in the stadium with decisions explained in details on screens for the first time at a major tournament.
That was one frustration for fans removed. But this was the most frustrating of nights for Scotland.
The penalty conceded by Porteous was converted by Kai Havertz leaving a 3-0 deficit at half-time.
The only comfort for Scotland was limiting the damage in the second half to two goals.
Scotland also managed to score the first time in the opening game at a Euros thanks to Antonio Rudiger deflecting Scott McKenna’s header into his own goal.
But in the game’s dying moments even that consolation was snatched away as a rampant German side made it 5-1.
So one good omen, perhaps? Two games to find their way out of the group stage.
It was an error-strewn showing for Scotland, who will have to vastly improve in the next matches against Hungary and Switzerland.
Captain Andy Roberts called it “hugely disappointing” and admitted the team “didn’t really show up”.
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Fans still positive as Germany crush Scotland
He said they could be angry tomorrow but must “bounce back quickly” for Wednesday’s match.
“We have to dust ourselves down, we’ve got five days to sort ourselves out and go again against Switzerland,” said Robertson.
Sombre-looking manager Steve Clarke said the players were poor both with and without the ball.
Kieran Tierney and Jack Hendry looked dejected after the thrashing. Pic: Reuters
But he said “what we need to do is still in front of us”.
Ally McCoist praised fantastic strikes by Germany’s Fulkrug and Musiala – and said Scotland needed “more belief” if they are to get anywhere in the competition.
UK
Pictured: Boy killed in Gateshead industrial estate fire – 14 children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter
Tributes have been paid to 14-year-old Layton Carr who died in a fire at an industrial estate.
Eleven boys and three girls, aged between 11 and 14 years, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the incident in Gateshead on Friday. They remain in police custody.
Police were alerted to a fire at Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area
Firefighters raced to Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area shortly after 8pm, putting out the blaze a short time later.
Police then issued an appeal for a missing boy, Layton Carr, who was believed to be in the area at the time.
In a statement, the force said that “sadly, following searches, a body believed to be that of 14-year-old Layton Carr was located deceased inside the building”.
Layton’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers, police added.
Layton has been described as a ‘beautiful soul’
A fundraising page on GoFundMe has been set up to help Layton’s mother pay for funeral costs.
Organiser Stephanie Simpson said: “The last thing Georgia needs to stress trying to pay for a funeral for her Boy Any donations will help thank you.”
One tribute in a Facebook post read: “Can’t believe I’m writing this my nephew RIP Layton 💔 forever 14 you’ll be a massive miss, thinking of my sister and 2 beautiful nieces right now.”
Another added: “My boy ❤️ my baby cousin, my Layton. Nothing will ever come close to the pain I feel right now. Forever 14. I’ll miss you sausage.”
A third said: “Rest in peace big lad such a beautiful soul taken far to soon my thoughts are with you Gee stay strong girl hear for u always.”
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Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, also said: “This is an extremely tragic incident where a boy has sadly lost his life.”
She added that the force’s “thoughts are with Layton’s family as they begin to attempt to process the loss of their loved one”.
They are working to establish “the full circumstances surrounding the incident” and officers will be in the area to “offer reassurance to the public”, she added.
A cordon remains in place at the site while police carry out enquiries.
Sky News can reveal that the government has rowed back on a national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse, despite it being promised under the previous Conservative administration.
Warning – this story contains references to sexual and physical abuse
A National Redress Scheme was one of 20 key recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), but a Home Office report reveals the government has scrapped it because of the cost.
Marie, who is 71, suffered alleged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at Greenfield House Convent in St Helens, Merseyside, between 1959 and 1962, and is still fighting for compensation.
Greenfield House Convent, where Marie says she was abused
As soon as she arrived as a six-year-old, Marie says her hair was cut off, her name changed, and she experienced regular beatings from the nuns and students.
She claims a nun instigated the violence, including when Marie was held down so that her legs were “spread-eagled” as she was sexually abused with a coat hanger.
Merseyside Police investigated claims of abuse at the convent, but in 2016, a suspect died before charges could be brought.
Marie has received an apology from the Catholic body that ran the home; she tried to sue them, but her claim was rejected because it was filed too long after the alleged abuse.
Marie, 71, is still fighting for compensation for the abuse she says she suffered as a child
In February, ministers said the law would change for victims of sexual abuse trying to sue institutions for damages, which was a recommendation from the IICSA.
Previously, people had to make a civil claim before they were 21, unless the victim could prove a fair trial could proceed despite the time lapse.
Campaigners argued for the time limit to be removed as, on average, victims wait 26 years to come forward. Changes to the 1980 Limitation Act could lead to more people making claims.
Peter Garsden, President of The Association of Child Abuse Lawyers
Civil cases ‘can take three to five years’
But Peter Garsden, president of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, worries that when it comes to historical abuse where the defendant is dead, institutions will still argue that it is impossible to have a fair trial and will fight to have the case thrown out of court.
Mr Garsden said it takes “between three and five years” for a civil case to get to trial.
He warned that claimants “can end up losing if you go through that process. Whereas the Redress Scheme would be quicker, much more straightforward, and much more likely to give justice to the victims”.
Victim awarded £10 compensation
Jimbo, who was a victim of abuse at St Aidan’s children’s home in Cheshire, took his case to the High Court twice and the Court of Appeal three times, but, after 13 years, all he ended up with was £10 for his bus fare to court.
Despite the Lord Justice of Appeal saying he believed that the abuse had occurred, Jimbo lost his claim because of the time limit for child sexual abuse claims to be made.
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Neither Marie nor Jimbo is likely to benefit from the removal of the time limit for personal injury claims, which is why Mr Garsden is calling on the government to implement a National Redress Scheme for victims of sexual abuse, as recommended by the IICSA.
Hundreds of millions paid to victims
The governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland have set up compensation schemes and paid hundreds of millions of pounds to victims.
In 2023, the then Conservative government said a similar scheme would be organised for England and Wales.
But the Home Office admitted in its Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Progress Update that it “is not currently taking forward any further steps on the IICSA proposal for a separate, national financial redress scheme for all survivors of child sexual abuse”.
“In the current fiscal environment, this recommendation is very difficult to take forward,” it added.
For victims, the scheme was the last chance of compensation for a lifetime blighted by abuse.
“The money is about justice and about all the other people who have had to suffer this abuse,” Marie said.
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