How prudence laid the ground for a stunning Scottish revival

The Old Firm's successes this week demonstrate how a new financially-enforced emphasis on youth has benefited clubs and country

And, in other news, Celtic sensationally beat Milan, seven-times winners of the European Cup and the reigning champions, 2-1.

Amid the furore about Dida's antics at Parkhead on Wednesday night and under the shadow of possible sanctions for Celtic over a pitch invader, the magnitude of their achievement on the pitch, and the ongoing renaissance of Scottish football, at club and international level, risks being overshadowed.

And what a revival, if only considering three results. First Scotland beat France, in Paris, to complete a Euro 2008 qualifying double over the French and move to the top of a section that also includes Italy and Ukraine.

Then, on Tuesday, Rangers went to Lyons, winners of the French league for the past six years, in the Champions League, and came away with a magnificent 3-0 win.

Celtic's triumph put the icing on the cake. In a country where the national side has ignominiously failed to reach any major tournament for almost a decade and where even the leading club sides are expected to stutter in Europe, what the balamory is going on?

Even if Scotland ultimately do not make it to Euro 2008 (hard games still lie ahead), and even if Rangers and Celtic cannot convert their recent Champions League results into sustained progress through to the knockout phase, at the very least Scotland can see vibrant shoots of recovery.

Gordon Strachan, a mixture of exhaustion and elation on his face on Wednesday, theorised that a virtuous circle, based upon Scottish players getting regular top-level action, is one explanation. In other words, in contrast to the recent past – six years ago, for example, foreigners dominated Old Firm line-ups – the move to using more Scots has allowed those players to flourish. In turn they have lifted the national team, which is improving, and that then stimulates their clubs.

"It's absolutely fantastic," he said. "I do believe it's because there are so many Scots playing at Celtic and Rangers and other big club sides. They are getting a taste of playing at the highest level. They are out there competing against the world's best in the Champions League.

"That helps Scotland and because they are doing so well with their country they come back to our club feeling good about themselves. So it is a continuous feel-good factor."

So what brought about this change, from what was an arguable nadir in around 2000 – when Rangers epitomised an era of splashing out on foreigners who failed to pay dividends by buying Tore Andre Flo for £12m – to now?

Part of it was down to the Scottish Premier League rejecting a £50m television deal with Sky in 2001. In short, the SPL thought it could get more, but could not. It signed a deal elsewhere for half the cash. Cue manic belt-tightening across the board, and an urgent need to not only develop young players but actually use them. With all Scottish clubs doing this, the best young Scots inevitably moved quickly to the Old Firm or England, and higher levels.

If that sounds simplistic, then there is no doubting the array of young talent already gaining valuable experience at elite level with club and country. Rangers have eight Scots who are regular first-choice picks including Kris Boyd, 24, Alan Hutton, 22, Kevin Thomson, 22 and Steven Whittaker, 23, while those four plus Allan McGregor, 25, Lee McCulloch, 29, Barry Ferguson, 29 and David Weir, 37, are all already internationals or on the fringes. Smith also has Alan Gow 24, Chris Burke 23, Steven Naismith 21 in contention for club and country. In 2001, two or three Scots per Rangers XI was more typical.

Strachan has Gary Caldwell, 25 and Stephen McManus, 25, as a central defensive partnership who also play for Scotland, while Scott Brown, 22, is the country's next big thing in midfield. The likes of Derek Riordan, 24, John Kennedy, 24 and Paul Hartley, 30, are among other Celtic men who do or will play for Scotland.

Scotland also have five Premier League-based strikers, average age 24, including Everton's James McFadden, and several other "Anglos" such as the goalkeeper Craig Gordon at Sunderland.

Dida's dive: How the Italians saw it

Hit by a light tap from a fan after the decisive goal in the last minute, the giant Dida collapses as if he had come up against Tyson ... Dida left the pitch on a stretcher with an ice pack on his cheek. His apparent play acting is the latest sad episode of a Milan that needs a complete overhaul.

Luigi Garlando, Gazzetta dello Sport.

When the Milan bench saw Dida on the ground they were really worried but once they had seen the footage they were furious with him.

From Sky Italia's sports news programme, Sport Time.

We dare not think that he was feigning injury but Uefa may ask themselves that question.

Antonello Capone, La Stampa.

The fan who ran on to the pitch seemed to have done little more than touch Dida between the face and shoulder.

Alessandro Bocci, La Stampa.

As a Milanista I hopethat the club punishesDida because this kindof thing ruins the club's image.

Supporter's posting on the La Stampa website.

Faking it 'Simulators' in the dock

Precedent of retrospective punishment for simulation Saulius Mikoliunas, the 23-year-old Lithuanian midfielder who plays for Heart of Midlothian, last month became the first man to be banned by Uefa for simulation as a result of retrospective video analysis. His misdemeanour happened on 8 September at Hampden against Scotland in Euro 2008 qualifying. With Scotland leading 1-0, Mikoliunas dived to earn a penalty, converted by Tomas Danilevicius, a potentially campaign-threatening scoreline for Scotland, who eventually won 3-1. Mikoliunas was found guilty of misconduct by Uefa for deceiving the referee, and banned for two international games. His appeal was rejected yesterday.