ROBERTO LOPES says Shamrock Rovers are under no illusions about the task’s difficulty as they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League second qualifying round first-leg clash with Sparta Prague at Tallaght Stadium.
The Hoops are coming into the game having earned a dramatic 2-1 aggregate win over Icelandic outfit Víkingur Reykjavík last week.
Stephen Bradley’s side got out of jail after a 98th-minute penalty miss by Nikolaj Hansen ensured their passage to the next round.
Víkingur were no pushovers but playing the Czech outfit ostensibly represents a stiffer task, with Rovers going into the game as clear underdogs.
The Hoops may have four successive Premier Division titles, but Sparta are a level above most sides they have faced in recent years.
They are similarly dominant domestically, while two of their players, Martin Vitík and Jan Kuchta, made the Czech Republic’s squad for Euro 2024.
Sparta ended a nine-year wait to win the Czech First League in 2023 and retained the title last season.
They also impressed in Europe. Having been unfortunately knocked out of the Champions League qualifying round on penalties by Copenhagen, they beat Dinamo Zagreb 5-4 — having lost the first leg 3-1 — to advance to the Europa League group stages.
Sparta then finished second in a group that featured Rangers, Real Betis and Aris Limassol.
The Czech outfit knocked out Galatasaray with a high-scoring 6-4 aggregate win, but they were eventually outclassed in the round of 16 by Liverpool, who hammered them 5-1 away and 6-1 at home.
Rovers’ best European achievement under Stephen Bradley was reaching the 2022-23 Europa Conference League group stages.
However, a win over Sparta would top that feat and provide another significant cash boost, with Tuesday’s win guaranteeing a minimum of €1.7 million from at least three more European ties.
Speaking in the aftermath of Friday’s disappointing FAI Cup exit at the hands of rivals Bohemians, Lopes said the defeat of Víkingur had taken “a lot” out of Rovers, but added: “We have the squad, we have the mentality, we have been doing this for years, we should be able to put it behind us fairly quick.”
Indeed, is the Hoops’ 10th season on the trot in Europe, though Sparta will be among the toughest opponents they have faced.
The Irish side will be hoping to capitalise on the fact that Sparta are in pre-season, having last played competitively in May, while there has also been some upheaval behind the scenes — former assistant Lars Friis was appointed manager in June after Brian Priske left to take charge of Feyenoord.
“There’s never an easy game in Europe,” Lopes added. “Some people might not know the teams you’re playing against but there might be a surprise package.
“This is different. It’s a household name. They played against Liverpool. They’re there or thereabouts in European competitions. If we want to get to that level, these are the teams that we want to face up against and try to beat them.”
While it would be wrong to suggest the pressure is off Rovers, getting over the first hurdle in Europe, as they did last week, is vitally important. It gives them a much better chance of reaching group stages in one of the three European competitions and securing all the substantial financial rewards this achievement entails.
“You win one game, it gives you a great opportunity. We know if we win a second game, what that means to the club. It’ll guarantee us group stages and the quicker you can do that, the better. So I don’t think you want to wait for an easier tie because you might not get one. The next game now is crucial and it’s a chance to cement group stages, so we’ll give it everything.
“We’ve huge experience [in Europe]. In the two ties against Víkingur, we showed our experience in those games to dig in when we had to and be ruthless when we had to. So you gain experience every year and it’s about progressing.”
One slight difference from previous campaigns is that Rovers now have extra support.
Tallaght Stadium was redeveloped ahead of the 2024 season with the new North Stand helping create a particularly fervent atmosphere on big European nights.
“The atmosphere is probably the best it has been in a long time. It was incredible and it probably helped in the end, how good the North Stand was for the penalty [against Víkingur]. So we’re hoping to pack it out again and have a right go off these.”
