"I am very excited ahead of the match against Monaco given it is our opening game of the Champions League and we are playing at home," he told El Mundo Deportivo.
"It is the most important competition there is and we begin it with a lot of desire and hope that things will work out well.
"It is very important to start on the right foot and even more so given that we are playing at home in front of our fans, we must not fail.
"Players of quality have left like Giuly, Rothen and Morientes, but they have strengthened this summer and they are going to be a very difficult opponent.
"Deschamps has already demonstrated last year that he has things well sorted and it will take a lot for us to win."