The Champions League has resumed, but Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes will not be participating due to his recent World Cup exploits with Cape Verde. Lopes played a pivotal role in the tournament, where Cape Verde narrowly lost to defending champions Argentina in a thrilling 3-2 match during the round of 32.

Lopes' Absence Felt

Lopes returned to Dublin on Monday, just three days after the intense World Cup encounter. The 34-year-old, who has been with Shamrock Rovers since 2016, expressed his disappointment at missing the first leg of their qualifying match against Floriana in Malta, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for his team. "I’ll miss the game in Malta, unfortunately," Lopes stated at Dublin airport, adding that he is eager to return to training and resume playing.

Champions League Highlights

The first qualifying round of the Champions League featured 10 matches on Tuesday, with notable performances from various teams. In Gibraltar, 41-year-old Nano, a left back for Lincoln Red Imps, made headlines by scoring the season's opening goal from the penalty spot in a 3-1 victory over Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra. Meanwhile, Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka played to a 1-1 draw against Levski Sofia, missing their World Cup participant, 18-year-old goalkeeper Mladen Jurkas.

As the tournament progresses, Kairat Almaty will also begin their campaign in the first qualifying round, having reached the main phase in the previous edition where they faced top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal. Additionally, the first qualifying round of the Conference League kicked off on Tuesday, with matches taking place in Albania and Luxembourg, while the Europa League is set to commence on Thursday.