Things you didn't need to know about Sparta Prague

Unlike the vast majority of articles which I have previously penned, this is not a number filled piece - for season stats on Shamrock Rovers players check our detailed squad set up here. For a preview of tonight’s game, our Macdara Ferris has penned an excellent piece here.

This is something different - this is a cheat sheet to impress/bore/surprise (delete as appropriate) those around you with your knowledge of Sparta Prague this evening as you watch the game - not sure where? Check here.

Do not share or speak about this article until a few minutes into tonight’s clash of Shamrock Rovers and Sparta Prague when there’s a lull in play. Then pull it up on your phone, nudge the person beside you and try out one of the pieces of information set out below.

If there’s a positive response, do it a few more times throughout the game until you’ve all the facts used up. If it’s a negative response, put the phone away and don’t speak of it again today.

Then next week, for the second leg, make sure you’re sitting next to someone different and repeat the procedure until successful.

First of all, the basics - if there’s a conversation about the gulf between the clubs pull out one of the following:

Club ranking (Source: uefa.com)

148- Shamrock Rovers

71- Sparta Praha

Money (Source: Transfermarkt)

Total squad value

£3.93million- Shamrock Rovers 

£71.95million- Sparta Praha 

Top valued player (Source: Transfermarkt)

£450k Jack Byrne

£12m Martin Vitik- most valuable player in the Czech top league which is known as the Chance Liga.

If the conversation turns to our 32 year old Dutch referee

Ref stats (for more information on referees see the following piece)

Match referee Joey Kooij from the Netherlands wasn't allocated Feyenoord matches in the 2023/24 season as both himself and Feyenoord midfielder Calvin Stengs were dating daughters of Frank De Boer- Remy (Kooij) and Beau (Stengs) respectively.

If there’s a need to praise/give out about/reference a Sparta player dip in here

Sparta Players

Sparta Praha goalkeeper Peter Vindahl was heavily linked with Celtic before they signed Kasper Schmeichel and has the same agent as Jamie McGrath- Michael Bolvig.

Centre half Vitik was playing for Czechia when ex St Patrick's Athletic loanee Viteslav Jaros made his debut in June 2024 against Malta.

Centre half Asger Sorensen scored 6 goals in 24 games for Nuremberg in the 19/20 2.Bundesliga season.

Midfielder Markus Solbakken. His dad Stale Solbakken played with Wimbledon in 1997, his playing career ended due to heart issues and he had a spell managing Wolves.

Midfielder Qasim Laci is an Albanian international who scored at the Euros against Croatia. When he was at the Olympiakos Academy he scored in the UEFA Youth League against a Malmo side featuring ex Sligo Rovers player Johan Brannefalk.Incidentally, Brannefalk’s first and last league games for Sligo Rovers came against Shamrock Rovers.

Winger Veljko Birmancevic scored against Liverpool last season and came on as a sub for Serbia against England in the Euros. He joined Sparta permanently this summer after spending last season on loan with the club.

Winger Angelo Preciado was playing for Ecuador in the Copa America as a right back. Argentina beat them in the quarter finals on penalties. He didn't take one.

Francois Letexier, the referee for the England v Spain Euro 2024 Final was also the man in the middle when Sparta Praha number 9 Jan Kuchta scored against Spain in June 2022.

Striker Victor Olatunjii is a former teammate of Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior. They both played in the 2018/19 Slovakian top division with Podbrezova.

And finally, if attention turns to the dugout. 

Sparta Manager

Manager Lars Friise was previously on the coaching staff as Assistant to Brian Priske, who left the club earlier this summer. Friise was previously at Brentford as both an Individual Development Coach and B Team Manager, is a UEFA Pro Licence holder since August 2015 and helped set up the FC Midtjylland Academy over 20 years ago.

Remember, first rule of Sparta Prague cheat sheet, don’t mention the cheat sheet! Enjoy.