Roberto Lopes confident Shamrock Rovers can park FAI Cup misery ahead of Sparta Prague clash
The Hoops are preparing for another big night in Europe when they host Sparta Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday
Roberto Lopes insists Shamrock Rovers will move on quickly from their FAI Cup exit as their big Champions League date looms large. After the highs of beating Icelandic champions Vikingur a week ago, the Hoops were reeling on Friday when arch rivals Bohemians dumped them out of the second round.
Lopes admits that Cup defeat at Dalymount Park was a major setback and has hurt the squad - but knows there is no time to wallow in defeat. Not with Sparta Prague arriving in Tallaght tomorrow, the experienced Czech giants who reached the Last 16 of the Europa League this year before losing to Liverpool.
The odds are stacked against Rovers progressing in Europe’s elite competition, but they will have parachute options into the Europa League and Conference League. Centre-back Lopes said: “This group has been good at putting games behind us pretty fast and focusing on the next one.
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“You have to treat every game with the utmost respect. We were gutted on Friday and were hurting, definitely, but we need to be ready for a big game tomorrow.
“The name speaks for itself - everyone knows Sparta Prague is a household name in European football.
“This is why you want to play in these European competitions, to play against the very best. We know it will be a tough task but it's one we’re looking forward to.
“Some people might not know the teams you're playing against and 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 every season.
“If we want to get to that level as well, these are the teams that we want to face up against and try to beat them.”
Rovers are 13 points behind league leaders Shelbourne and despite having a game in hand, their quest for an historic fifth league title in-a-row looks a tall order.
That’s why crashing out of the cup at the first hurdle hurt so much, and particularly so to their arch rivals Bohs with Dayle Rooney scoring the only goal from the penalty spot.
Tomorrow night will be the third time in a week where the Rovers players will be asked to peak for a big game, either in Europe or at home.
And ‘Pico’, the Cape Verde international, said: “There is probably no bigger game in the Irish calendar than Rovers v Bohs.
“You go into European games then and it’s a different level. But the atmospheres are very similar in a weird way because everyone is on edge.
“In Europe, it's hard to get a good look at your opponent until you're on the pitch beside them, but we've got huge past experience.
“You saw in the two ties against Vikingur, we showed our experience in those games to dig in when we had to and be ruthless when we had to. You gain experience every year.”
And Lopes has called on the Rovers supporters to keep playing their part in Europe by packing out Tallaght Stadium against Sparta Prague and getting behind the team again.
“The atmosphere was probably the best it's been in a long time,” he added of last Tuesday’s dramatic encounter with Vikingur.
“It was incredible and it helped in the end, how good the North Stand was for the penalty. We're hoping to pack it out again and have a right go off these.
“The South Stand is incredible. It can make great noise. But the North Stand is great. It looks great, looking back into it, and you can hear the noise from it as well.
“That atmosphere is vital to us. It gives us a really big lift. It's the 12th man.”
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