Miranda also conquers China and ends another hegemony

Almost nine years have passed since that “Miranda, the ball to shit!” with which Simeone baptized the Brazilian central in one of his first training sessions at the helm of Atlético. He would later become a vital piece and a character who earned his name in the Atlético history book in his own right. But at first Cholo made him see reason so that he would shake off his prejudices and be expeditious. Surely he has remembered it, because his career changed for the better alongside Cholo and alongside Godín, of course. At 36, Miranda comes from leading Jiangsu Suning, the team that has taken the Chinese Super League away from Cannavaro's mighty Guangzhou Evergrande, which had won eight of the last nine championships. Until Thursday.

Jiangsu, led by João Miranda, won the second leg of the final by 1-2, after 0-0 in the first leg. It is the fifth league title of the Brazilian defender's career after three in Brazil with Sao Paulo, the historic one of 2014 with Atlético further east. If with the mattress club he definitely helped to break Real Madrid's hegemony over the rojiblanco team, in China he has not forgotten to give the group that character. Miranda always remembers that that header at the 2013 Bernabéu that gave Atlético the Copa del Rey is the most important goal of his career, since it was to break a 14-year streak without beating the eternal rival. As rojiblanco he raised that Cup, the League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Cup and a Europa League. Together with Godín he formed an already mythical couple and, later, he moved to Italy with the approval of Simeone. It was the coach himself who advised the footballer to choose Inter in 2015. After his Lombard cycle, he embarked on the Chinese adventure, but has not gone on vacation. He has played practically everything this year, forming with Wakaso and Eder the champion's safety corridor.

He comes back from Asia being champion, at least that's the intention. The Cup remains to be played, but his club, faced with the pandemic situation, has decided to release foreign footballers. Miranda was in China without her family and has recounted the difficulties in these times. “My thought is to go back to Brazil. These five months without the family were very hard. I haven't seen my wife and children for five months,” he says on Yahoo. “Suning will continue to play the Chinese Cup, but foreigners have been allowed to return to our countries, among other things because the goal of the season had already been reached by reaching the final. The idea was to qualify for the Champions League, but we have achieved even more, “he explains. Miranda hurries her career, her next destination may be Brazil again, but in Asia she has also left her mark.