 Hoddle was dismissed on 2 February 1999, two days after an interview with "The Sunday Times" in which he spoke about his belief in reincarnation and claimed that disabled people were paying for sins in a previous life.Under considerable media and public pressure, the FA appointed England's former captain Kevin Keegan as Hoddle's successor.Keegan's team struggled to qualify for the 2000 European Championships, winning a play-off against Scotland 2–1 on aggregate but losing the second leg at Wembley.