Ian Maxwell reckons Euro 2028 WILL come to Scotland but SFA chief rules out new look Hampden

SFA chief Ian Maxwell believes Scotland WILL co-host the 2028 European Championships – but it WON’T be at a new-look Hampden. The UK and Ireland are competing with Turkey to stage the event, with UEFA set to announce the winner in September next year.

Maxwell believes the home nations are favourites to land the tournament, which means Scotland will host their second Euros after 2020. Previously, both Maxwell and SFA president Rod Petrie said if Britain were successful with a bid to host the World Cup, finance would be available to renovate Hampden. But the chief executive says the Euros aren’t as lucrative.

And he’s warned the Tartan Army that - even if the 2028 finals come to Glasgow - the national stadium will only undergo minor improvements. The old ground has often been criticised for its lay-out and lack of atmosphere. But Maxwell insists, when it’s full, it’s one of the best stadiums on the continent. The old ground has often been criticised for its lay-out and lack of atmosphere. But Maxwell insists, when it’s full, it’s one of the best stadiums on the continent.

He said: “We’re going through the process for Euro 2028. We had a bid meeting last week and now have information from UEFA on what we’d need to provide, which is extensive.

“They put a lot of demands on you whether it’s the stadium, the local council or the government. But rightly so because it’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

“I’m really confident that we’ll be able to put forward a compelling bid with the five other associations. We’ll have a commercially strong bid.

“UEFA aren’t daft, they’ve been hit as hard as anyone due to Covid. So they’ll be looking at the Euros and trying to recoup some of that money.

“The commercial benefit