Only 16% of Scottish football fans think a European victory is likely for a Scottish team
Rangers came within touching distance of winning the Europa League last night, going to penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt. But it was not to be, with Frankfurt snatching victory 5-4. Such a loss may not have been surprising to fans, however.
YouGov research among Scots (carried out in mid-April, long before the Europa League final) shows that football fans are not confident in their domestic teams’ abilities at higher levels. Only 16% say it is likely that a Scottish team will win a European tournament such as the Europa League or Champions League in the next 20 years. Eight in ten (80%) think it unlikely a Scottish side will do so, including 30% saying it's "not at all likely" they will win.
Hope on the international stage is not lost for Scottish football fans, however, with the Scottish national side still to play qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup. The research shows that fans have confidence in their national team, as 72% say it’s likely that Scotland will qualify for a World Cup in the next 20 years. This includes nearly a quarter who think it is "very" likely (23%). Another quarter (24%) are not confident that Scotland will qualify, although only 3% say it is “not at all” likely.
Back home, fans think it is unlikely that a team other than Rangers or Celtic will win the Scottish Premier League in the next two decades (83%) – 45% say it's "not at all likely". Only 15% think it is likely that another team will beat both Rangers and Celtic to the top spot.
See full results here
Image: Brian Aitkenhead via WikiMedia Commons
