Scotland fans will hold a minute’s applause at Hampden Park tonight in memory of the late former First Minister and SNP and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond.
The 69-year-old passed away in North Macedonia on Saturday after suffering a massive heart attack at around 3.40pm, just hours before Steve Clarke’s men took on Croatia in Zagreb.
And the Tartan Army will pay tribute to the politician ahead of tonight’s clash with Portugal, with the match against Cristiano Ronaldo and co kicking off at 7.45pm.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, 39, and his Portuguese teammates have been staying at Cameron House, on Loch Lomond, and training at St Mirren’s ground in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
And the Scottish Football Association confirmed today that there will be a minute’s applause before kick-off in the Nations League Group A clash, as Scotland boss Steve Clarke bids to get his first points in the competition this year.
Salmond, who was leader of the SNP on two occasions, was in the city of Ohrid for a youth cultural and diplomatic event when tragedy struck while he lunched with other delegates.
He was alongside Alba Party chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh when he suddenly fell back in his chair, leading to the emergency services being called and CPR being administered.
But Salmond, who was SNP leader from 1990 to 2000 and 2004 to 2014, before leaving the party to start up the nationalist and pro-independence Alba Party, could not be saved.
David Davis, a veteran Tory MP and friend of Salmond, has led calls for the RAF to step in to repatriate Salmond’s body. The Scottish Government is in talks with the Foreign Office over the repatriation of his body.
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