Scotland and Ireland's footballing chiefs were magnanimous in defeat after Uefa's announcement that Austria and Switzerland would host Euro 2008.

Both Scottish Football Association chief executive David Taylor and Milo Corcoran, president of the Football Association of Ireland, expressed their deep disappointment at the decision.

But they wholeheartedly congratulated the winning countries on their success.

"We are clearly very disappointed with the outcome but we extend our congratulations to an excellent bid and an excellent campaign in Austria and Switzerland.

I think they deserved to get it in view of the work that was put in Former Scotland manager Craig Brown

"We are very proud to have been part of this process, we put forward the best possible bid and we gave it our very best shot.

"We will now be looking to qualify for Euro 2008 in due course and we will bring many thousands of Scottish and Irish fans to what I'm sure will be an excellent event."

Corcoran echoed Taylor's words, wishing the winning countries the best of luck.

"I'd like to thank our own government and the Scottish government for the support they have given us to bring the bid to this stage," he added.

Former Scotland manager Craig Brown believes the bid team were unfortunate not to have been awarded the tournament after the hard work which had gone into the bid.

Brown told Sky Sports News: "No stone was left unturned as far as I could see.

"It will be a major disappointment for Scotland.

"I think they deserved to get it in view of the work that was put in.

"But who am I to judge? The Uefa authorities have looked at the other bids and made their decision."

The Scottish side was very good but we were a long way behind in Ireland Ex-Ireland international Frank Stapleton

But ex-Republic of Ireland striker Frank Stapleton said he felt the Irish had let Scotland down with their failure to guarantee stadia for the tournament before the submission of the bid.

"There was no definite commitment from the Irish Government and there was never going to be a chance of Croke Park being used - and that's as good a stadium as there is in Europe.

"The Scottish side was very good, they`ve spent a lot of money on their stadia but we were a long way behind in Ireland.

"Lansdowne Road is antiquated and there was talk about a national stadium but it got caught up with politics and the sport suffered in the end."

The Republic's sport minister John O'Donoghue rejected suggestions the bid had been scuppered by the debate over which stadia would be used.

"Naturally we were not able to give an absolute guarantee in relation to Croke Park," he said. "We could merely set out the factual position.

"But the reality of the situation is that the bid did not fail because of Ireland."