Inter defender Joao Miranda has expressed his delight at signing for a ‘great club’ but has admitted that leaving Atletico Madrid was a tough decision to make.
The 30-year-old established himself as one of the best defenders in Spain during his four-year spell at the Rojiblancos, appearing on 111 occasions and netting 11 times.
Nevertheless, Miranda has claimed that his main role will be to shore up the Nerazurri’s leaky defence and that the club’s main priority is to qualify for Champions League football next season.
“It was hard to leave Atletico Madrid, but Inter is a great club. It represents a new challenge and I’m very happy to be working here,” the veteran defender told reporters at his official unveiling.
“I was brought in to improve the defence and I want to try to make my contribution. A team consists of four departments, all will have to give their best.
“We must try to be more compact, but the most important thing is that there is good communication between us. We are not worried about these first results, we must take advantage of the friendly to resolve the problems.
“Our goal is to win, and getting back into the Champions League is our priority, then we’ll see.”
Despite his affection for Diego Simeone, Miranda also lavished praise on coach Roberto Mancini, and is itching to begin working with the 50-year-old tactician.
“A great team has to have a great coach, and Mancini is one of those. I found him to be very positive, and he exudes great desire to win. I am pleased with this choice.”
