Scotland to use Rangers’ base for Euro Finals
Scotland are set to use Rangers’ Hummel Training Centre as their base for Euro 2020 if they qualify, rather than their own Oriam complex in Edinburgh.
The Czech Republic will utilise Scotland’s National Performance Training Centre instead for the duration of the tournament.
Scotland have used the £33-million purposebuilt base in the outskirts of the capital as their training base since last year.
They switched from the luxury hotel, Mar Hall, after players complained about the pitches and facilities.
West Ham star Robert Snodgrass revealed the players lobbied the SFA to use Oriam instead of Mar Hall.
UEFA asked the SFA earlier this year – before current manager Steve Clarke took charge – to nominate their training base if they qualified because they are one of the host nations for the Finals.
Hampden will host three group games, including Scotland’s potential meeting with the Czech Republic on Monday, June 15, and against Croatia the following Tuesday, June 22.
It’s understood the previous Scotland coaching staff chose Rangers’ training centre rather than Oriam.
It means Scotland won’t even train at their own multi-millionpound training centre if they reach their first tournament in 22 years.
To do that, they must beat Israel at Hampden on March 26, then win the play-off Final away to either Norway or Serbia four days later.
Ironically, it was former Rangers flop Libor Sionko, now the Czech’s team manager, who revealed the information when he confirmed their preparatory plans for the Finals where they will play two games in Scotland.
Sionko said: “We went to Scotland twice to look at everything and we had three choices – Rangers, Stirling or Edinburgh.
“I know Rangers well because of my time in Scotland.
“But the Rangers Training Centre has already been booked by the Scottish national team and Oriam suited us best as an alternative.
“It’s the highest-level training performance centre in Scotland.
“In Edinburgh, we will have peace and quiet and the facilities are excellent.
“It’s also less than an hour away from Glasgow, where we will be playing.
“The hotel is next to the complex and very modern, and it’s just the perfect base for us. We arrive there on June 10.”