Roma were dealt arguably the toughest draw of the Champions League quarter-finals, the Giallorossi having been paired with Barca, who are still unbeaten in La Liga and Europe this season.
“I’m happy, we’re among the eight best in Europe,” the No 10-turned-director told Premium Sport.
“Every team is difficult at this stage, but we face this tie with serenity and tranquillity. We know Barcelona are one of the best teams in Europe, but we know that we can do well against them too.
“On paper, Sevilla and Liverpool were the affordable sides, but that’s not the case. It’s different on the pitch.
“Rest assured that they’ll be concerned about facing Roma too. We want to play our game and show that we can also mix it with Barcelona.
“Everyone expects Barca to go through, but they’ll encounter a great Roma team. Football is great, especially for games like these.
“If we want to win this competition, we have to go all the way and face the best teams. Dealing with players like Messi and Suarez gives us great motivation.
“We finished top of a very difficult group, we faced Shakhtar in the last 16 and have embarked on more-than-positive journey.
“Barcelona will certainly have to sweat in order to beat Roma.”