EXCLUSIVE: Brest midfielder Fernandes says Barcelona 'mustn't underestimate' his side

As part of the programme set up by LFP Media's international department, Fernandes spoke to Flashscore as Brest look to climb back up the Ligue 1 table and move closer to qualifying for the Champions League play-offs. 

You're coming off a fine hour of league action against Reims, which ended in victory for Brest. Does the rotation imposed by Eric Roy help keep you fresh? 

"It's a bit of a special season because we've got a lot of games ahead of us. That's why the coach rotates the players, and it's good for us because when we're called upon to play, we're at our best.

"It's a way of taking it match by match: when you're called upon, you have to give it your all."

You've played for the likes of West Ham, Fiorentina and Mainz: is there a difference in France?

"It's true that I've played in just about every league (smiles). In fact, I'd wanted to come to Ligue 1 for a while, so it's great to be here. In fact, I find it more technical than the other leagues."

You face Nice, who have just beaten Monaco, on Saturday. They play with a three-man defence and a five-man midfield with fast players, does that change things for you as a defensive midfielder? 

"We're familiar with this system and we've already been working on it in training. We're going to try and press them to stop them playing. The idea is to be firmly in place and constantly aggressive to win balls back."

Roy is seen as a calm and didactic coach. Is that also the case in the dressing room, especially with you, as he was a midfielder as a player? 

"The way the press see him is exactly the way he is in life. He explains things well, he stays calm and quiet. He does his job well.

"With my midfield teammates, he helps us, he guides us with a lot of explanations, about our positioning for example. In training, he also helps us a lot with his voice."

You've joined a well-oiled team, especially in your part of the field. How did you fit in? 

"I fitted in quickly because the coach trusted me straight away. And we've got a good group, a good team, and you have to work very hard every day to earn your place."

Brest are now respected in Ligue 1 but underestimated in the Champions League. How do you combine these two competitions in different roles? 

"There are good teams in both competitions and that's why in training we try to maintain the same intensity and apply it to every match. At the moment, we're doing well."

You face Sparta Prague in the Champions League next and if you win, you'll qualify for the play-offs after just four matches!

"Yes, we're well aware of how well we've done, but we also know that Sparta are a good team. In any case, we'll be going to Prague to get a result."

Then it's on to Barcelona, who must have seen your performance against Bayer and taken note!

"They mustn't underestimate us! We're coming to give a good account of ourselves and get a result. Even though the match won't be played at Camp Nou, Montjuic is a very beautiful stadium, so we're going to do our best and make the most of the moment (smiles)."

You come from a family of footballers: your cousin Gelson scored for Switzerland against Spain in 2010 in the Swiss victory in the opening match of the World Cup, which La Roja went on to win. You face Barcelona in the Champions League at the end of November, do you dream of emulating him?

"Yes, I'd love to, I'm going to try anyway (laughs). One thing's for sure, though, and that's that we're going to do everything we can to put in a great performance in Barcelona."