Andreatta '500% Sure' Scotland Will Reach Major Finals
Melissa Andreatta is determined to lead Scotland to their first major women's football tournament since 2019.
Watch on BBC Scotland, BBC and website & app
Head coach Melissa Andreatta has expressed absolute confidence that her squad will be the team to bring Scotland back to a major women's tournament for the first time since 2019. She promises the team will give "blood, sweat and tears" to achieve this goal, even if it is not at next summer's World Cup in Brazil.
The Scottish team began their qualifying campaign for the 2027 World Cup with two convincing victories over Luxembourg. They now face Group B4 top seeds Belgium in two matches this week, with the first game on Tuesday broadcast live on BBC Scotland.
However, Andreatta's squad must still advance through at least two sets of two-legged play-offs later this year to secure a place in a major finals for the first time in eight years.
The optimistic Australian coach, who marked one year since her appointment last week, is confident her team—who she says are "501% sure"—will end the drought during her tenure.
"I'm a positive person and I'd rather aim high and say this is what I want and everyone knows about it," she said while previewing Scotland's home game against Belgium at Easter Road.
"I think human nature is to want to help and support others. That's how we got to the moon and back, people just want to jump on board and make that possible.
"I'd rather that than play it safe because at the end of the day, if we don't get there, there's a learning and we go again for the Euros."
Your guide to Scotland's 2027 World Cup qualifiers
Weir on World Cup dreams, coaching kids in Fife & Empire Biscuits
The Australian aiming to guide Scotland to World Cup
'We want to make this dream a reality'
On the day the Scottish FA announced that football has become the number one sport among girls and women in Scotland, with participation rising by 23% in the last two years—surpassing tennis for the first time—the national team coach emphasized the importance of capitalizing on this momentum across all levels of the game.
"We saw what major tournament qualification can do in 2017 and 2019, and it's our responsibility to keep growing that and building on that," said the former Australia assistant coach.
"Why stop when physical activity has so many health benefits, physically, socially, mentally?
"The world's getting tougher, it's quite easy to get lonely, isolated and lose connection and I think football is a fantastic vehicle for reconnecting humans with each other.
"So we have an opportunity when we do it again in 2027 to take that opportunity and accelerate the game and make it in front of everybody on, TV, radio, in ticket sales - everyone getting behind this team like they have the men.
"I can't wait to see it because it's inevitable.
"What it means to all the staff and players, words can't even describe what it, but let me reassure everybody that we're going to give everything. Blood, sweat, tears to make this dream a reality and doing whatever it takes to get there."
Andreatta confirmed that "everyone is looking good" for the first of two meetings in four days with Belgium. Forwards Kathleen McGovern and Eilidh Adams of Hibernian will be aiming to make an impact on their home ground.
What they said
Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta: "I feel really positive about the progress that we've made. I know there's more work to do as well, and that's the exciting thing, the potential of this team and how much growth there's been but how much more there is to go.
"They have such high standards for themselves that that's a privilege to work with when you're a coach."
Scotland striker Kathleen McGovern: "It feels like home when I come back here, so it was nice to get training today and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
We're playing every game like it's a final in these qualifiers and it's no different tomorrow. We're really looking forward to it and we're in a really good place."
