Scotland captain Rachel Corsie has branded those questioning their integrity ahead of Tuesday’s Women’s Nations League game with England “extremely disrespectful”.
World Cup runners-up England need a high-scoring win against already-relegated Scotland to claim top spot in the group, the finish required to keep the Lionesses in contention to secure Paris 2024 Olympic qualification for Great Britain.
With England success on that front the only way Scottish players will be able to play at the Games, Andries Jonker, head coach of group leaders the Netherlands, described the situation as “strange”.
But ahead of hosting England at Hampden Park on Tuesday, Corsie hit out at those daring to call Scotland’s integrity into question.
“Truthfully, I think it’s extremely disrespectful,” the 34-year-old said. “It’s a huge insult to us.
“To have played for my country as many years as I have, to know the girls sitting in there [the dressing room], the ones who want to be here but are injured and cannot be here, it’s absolutely outrageous to question anyone’s integrity.”
Corsie added: “It’s a game we absolutely look forward to.
“The position we are in the group is difficult because it’s not where we want to be, but at the same time we have the opportunity to finish the year against a team that is one of the best and is a huge rivalry for our country.
“To get the chance to play England at Hampden Park is something everyone is relishing.”
Wiegman: No way Scotland will help England
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England Women’s manager Sarina Wiegman believes that Scotland will give their all against her side, despite a favourable result leading to an improved chance of Team GB qualifying for the Olympics.
England boss Sarina Wiegman has stressed there is “no way” Scotland are going to “give away” the game when the sides meet at Hampden Park on Tuesday in their final Nations League group fixture.
Wiegman told a press conference on Monday: “I understand the conversations about it. But if you have seen our group, seen Scotland and know the history of Scotland and England, then there’s no way that they are going to give away this game. They really want to beat England and we want to beat them, of course.
“There’s such a rivalry that that is absolutely not going to be the case. We saw it when we played in England (a 2-1 win for England in September).
“I don’t have the solution. This is the first time we’ve played the Nations League, and how are you going to solve this situation? Maybe you don’t want them in the same group, but then if Scotland topped another group, we topped one and we went into the finals, you’d have the same situation.
“It’s just about fair play, about football, and in football everyone wants to win, and we know the rivalry.
“We have professional players here who really want to show up – England players and Scottish players. I think it’s going to be a good game where everyone wants to perform at their highest level.”
Should there be any concern over Scotland approach?
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Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter and Gail Davis analyse England’s sensational comeback against the Netherlands and assess their chances of qualifying for the Nations League finals.
Sky Sports News reporter Gail Davis:
“It’s a very strange situation that Sarina Wiegman finds herself in. She understands the comments from the Netherlands’ manager that this game and its integrity is questionable.
“England just need to crack on and be aware of the scenarios ahead of them. If the Netherlands are winning [against Belgium], then England need to be winning themselves, by at least four goals.
“England certainly have the firepower but they just have to get the job done.”