Joao Miranda spoke in the newsroom once the physical work session had ended. The center back has no doubt that the signing of Martin Demichelis will be decisive for the team this year: "I think he's a great player. His arrival is very good for the group to increase competition. He gives us more quality in the center of defense. Having a player like him will he keep the high level of last year."

The Brazilian said that "facing Barcelona at the beginning of the season will be very beautiful. We are already training hard to get ready. We know the difficulty of facing Barca at the beginning is very high, but we are working hard to arrive in perfect condition."

"This preseason work is different. There is an increase in intensity, but it will help us to reach the a good level at the start of the championship and finish particularly well," Miranda said when he spoke about the work routine designed by the coaching staff for this summer.

The defender said that playing in the Champions League will help I’m try to get in to the Brazil squad for the World Cup this summer after failing to compete in the Confederations Cup, "I think that playing in the Champions League will give us much more visibility. If we get it right and return to repeat a season like the one we’ve just had, we will have a chance to return to the national team."

Finally, Miranda said that since he scored the decisive goal in the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid the affection he feels from the fans is even bigger than before: "It shows that the love is bigger, but you cherish this and love playing more and better."