SEBASTIAN CHEEK
EDITOR
PORTFOLIO ADVISER
Score prediction: CROATIA 2 – SCOTLAND 1
INVESTMENT INSIGHT:
Like many of the other countries in the tournament, Croatia is home to an inventive spirit that is often overlooked or, in the case of Ivan Vučetić, attributed to another country.
Vučetić was born on the island of Hvar in 1858, moving to Argentina when he was 26. He later changed his name to Juan Vucetich Kovacevich. It was in the Latin American country, while working as a police official, that he developed a fingerprinting system that would change the course of criminal investigations across the world.
It was already known that fingerprints are unique, this was established by English polymath Fracis Galton. But it was Vučetić who took that discovery and gave it a practical application – solving crimes.
His method came to prominence in an 1892 case, in which a woman claimed her two young children had been killed by her former lover. Fingerprinting proved that she was, in fact, the murderer.
You might wonder what all of this has to do with football. Well, ask yourself how often pundits talk about teams being ‘clinal’ or ‘forensic’ in how they play?
Croatia might just be home to more of those qualities than you expect – attributes which might well see them through to the next round.
FRASER LUNDIE
HEAD OF CREDIT
FEDERATED HERMES
Score prediction: CROATIA 1 – SCOTLAND 2
INVESTMENT INSIGHT:
Amid concern over self-isolation regulations in Scotland, the Croatian team cancelled plans to stay in St. Andrews during Euro 2020. For the one in 12 Scots employed in the tourist industry, this is hopefully a rare exception amidst a broader reopening.
Scotland, bursting with history, culture and stunning beauty, has long been a global leader in tourism. It remains a vital cog in the economy and with the post pandemic set to spark a resurgence in travel, the sector is set to enjoy a resurgence.
There are other structural trends aiding the case for tourism. The younger generations have grown up in a world where owning things is increasingly less of an aspiration. Scientific research has confirmed that experiences make us happier and technology is putting ever more information in our pockets, driving intrigue and desire to see and experience.
This demand for tourism needs to be met responsibly and thankfully Scotland is ahead of the curve in this regard. Groups including VisitScotland are vocal in championing the reduction of food miles, encouraging responsible travel and sustainable transport use. For investors, being on the right side of structural demographics, sustainability and a cyclical recovery all bode well.
While the Scotland national team have recently enjoyed something of a long overdue cyclical recovery in getting to these finals, the Croatian 2018 World Cup finalists have a lot to live up to and an aging backbone to their team.
The Tartan Army will be pinning hopes on home advantage in what is set to be a tight, nervy affair.
