Ange Postecoglou insists he “will forever” be a Celtic supporter after leaving the Parkhead club for Tottenham.

The London club ended days of speculation by appointing the 57-year-old Australian as their new head coach on a four-year deal.

Postecoglou – who won the domestic treble with the Hoops this season to make it five trophies in two campaigns in charge – replaces Antonio Conte at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In his parting statement on Celtic’s official website, the former Australia manager thanked the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson as well as the supporters as he reviewed his time at the cinch Premiership club.

He said: “I would like to sincerely thank everyone at the club for everything they have given me.

“In particular, Dermot, Peter and Michael and the Celtic Board have shown me tremendous support in every aspect of my time at Celtic and I will forever be grateful for this.

“They brought me to the club and I have worked so closely and so well with them for the past two years, I will always have a special relationship with them.

“They wanted me to extend my time at Celtic and while I am so respectful and understanding of their position, a new opportunity has been presented to me and it is one which I wanted to explore.

“It was an honour to be asked to be Celtic manager and during my two years I have given everything I have to deliver success to our supporters.

“Culminating in the treble at the weekend, my players and backroom team have been brilliant for me on this journey.

“They have given us all some fantastic moments through their energy and effort, creating real quality, winning football.

“Our supporters have been magnificent to me and I thank them for the way they have embraced me during the past two years.

“My ambition was always to give our fans a team they could be proud of, a team people talked about and I think we have achieved that.

“Celtic is a phenomenal football club and so much more – and I will forever be a supporter of this great institution. I wish everyone connected with Celtic nothing but continued success.”

Nicholson described Postecoglou as “a great football manager and a good man”, who has “served the club with such energy and determination and delivered a phenomenal level of success”.

He said:  “I would like to thank him for all he has given us and I wish Ange and his family the very best for the future in everything they do.

“Of course, we wanted Ange to stay with us at Celtic and while there is real disappointment that we are losing him, he has decided he wants to look at a new challenge, which we respect.

“As treble-winning champions, the club looks ahead with confidence to the future, with many exciting opportunities ahead.”

Lawwell was equally praiseworthy of the former Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F Marinos boss.

He said: “Against any measure, Ange has delivered a fantastic level of success to Celtic and we thank him for his brilliant contribution to the club during the past two years.

“We were delighted to bring Ange to Celtic.

“He is a special manager who has had success wherever he has been and someone who brought to the club attacking, stylish and winning football in the best traditions of Celtic.

“Of course, we are disappointed that Ange has decided to leave the club and we did all we could to keep him with us well into the future, but he wanted to take this new opportunity and we wish Ange well in this and everything else he does.

“Now our focus is very much on ensuring we move forward positively and do all we can to ensure that we maintain our dominant position in Scottish football and also prepare for the exciting European challenges which lie ahead.”

Ange Postecoglou has swapped Celtic for Tottenham as the north London club’s permanent successor to former head coach Antonio Conte.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the most recent managers to move from the Scottish to the English top flight, and how they fared.

Steven Gerrard

The former Liverpool and England captain took over at Rangers in 2018, finishing second behind Celtic in his first two seasons – and also losing the 2020 League Cup final to them – before breaking through to win the 2020-21 Premiership in an unbeaten season to deny Celtic a 10th title in a row.

He was appointed at Aston Villa early the following season, with a reported £4million compensation payment to Rangers, but was unable to improve Villa’s results.

They finished 14th that season and he was sacked after a poor start to 2022-23, with Unai Emery taking over and leading Villa into Europe. Meanwhile, north of the border, Postecoglou had taken over Celtic and re-established their dominance.

Gerrard managed 13 wins in 40 games as Villa boss, a 32.5 per cent win rate.

Paul Heckingbottom

Heckingbottom left Hibernian in November 2019 and, having been out of work for much of the season, became Sheffield United Under-23 coach in July 2020.

He took over as interim manager after Chris Wilder was sacked in March 2021 but won only three of 11 games as the club’s relegation was confirmed.

Having lost out on the permanent job to Slavisa Jokanovic, he took over six months later after the Serbian’s dismissal and has led the Blades back to the top flight for the new season, winning 48 of 83 games in his current reign.

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers was already an established name in England after spells at Reading and Liverpool, but it was at Celtic where he built his medal collection with back-to-back domestic trebles – adding the League Cup leg of a third before departing for Leicester in February 2019 and leaving Neil Lennon to finish the job.

With the Foxes he won the FA Cup in 2020-21 and reached the Europa League semi-final the following season, with league finishes of ninth, fifth, fifth and eighth as they twice missed out on the Champions League on the final day.

He was sacked in April with the club 19th in the league, with successor Dean Smith unable to save them from relegation. Rodgers won 92 of 204 Leicester games in all competitions, 45.1 per cent.

Alex McLeish

McLeish’s spell with Rangers brought him two league titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups, including a treble in 2002-03, following a second-placed finish with Motherwell and a promotion with Hibernian.

That earned him the Scotland job but he led them for only 12 games before returning to club management south of the border with Birmingham.

Blues were relegated in his first season in charge but bounced straight back, finished ninth in 2009-10 and won the 2011 League Cup after Obafemi Martins’ late winner against Arsenal.

That same season brought a second relegation, though, and McLeish resigned after 168 games in charge with a 36.9 per cent win rate.

Tottenham have appointed former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou as their head coach on a four-year deal.

The 57-year-old Australian, who won the domestic treble with Celtic this season, moves south to London to replace Antonio Conte.

Conte was sacked in late March, with Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason taking temporary charge.

Postecoglou will officially join Spurs on July 1.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said on the club’s website: “Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play.

“He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our club.

“We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”

Tottenham have ended their long search for a permanent head coach by appointing Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou, who won five major trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including this season’s domestic treble, faces a tough task to quickly turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the 57-year-old’s in-tray.

Resolve Harry Kane’s future

The most pressing issue awaiting Postecoglou in his first job as a Premier League head coach is the future of Kane. The England captain has one year left on his contract and has been linked with a possible summer move to a host of Europe’s leading clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Postecoglou will want Kane to stay, but will also want assurances. The 29-year-old is either all in and stays, or opts for a new challenge and generates funds to help Tottenham rebuild their squad. Whatever Kane decides, Postecoglou will need a speedy decision.

Unite the dressing room

None of Tottenham’s near 30-man first-team squad are out of contract this summer, but plenty of departures can be expected. Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte publicly criticised his players’ team ethic and anyone lacking in that regard will have no place in the former Australia head coach’s squad. He must quickly work out who he can trust to fully commit to his principles and methods and try and move on those he does not. Unity and spirit were the bedrock for Celtic’s success under Postecoglou and he will want to lay the same foundations at Tottenham.

Win over doubters

Postecoglou was not top choice for the majority of Tottenham’s supporters and there will be plenty of scepticism among those who had called for the return of Mauricio Pochettino, while the likes of Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi and Luis Enrique were also reported to be on the club’s list of targets. Postecoglou must win over the doubters and reconnect the players with a disgruntled fanbase. He did just that at Celtic where he first took charge in a toxic environment, but can his blueprint for success in the Scottish Premiership transfer to the English top flight?

Director of football key

Tottenham have been without a director of football since the resignation of Fabio Paratici in April and the club will now prioritise that key appointment in readiness for a busy summer ahead. Feyenoord’s general manager Dennis te Kloese has turned down the role and, while filling the vacancy falls under chairman Daniel Levy’s remit, Postecoglou could well be involved in the process and will definitely want to strike an instant rapport with whoever takes on the job. The Australian has a clear philosophy for possession-based, high-energy football and the project will only work if the two parties are aligned.

Top-four challenge

European football has eluded Spurs for the first time since 2009-10 and they can ill-afford to miss out for a second successive season in their bid to retain their status as a ‘Big Six’ club. Postecoglou must overhaul the playing squad, galvanise a dispirited dressing room and bed in his backroom staff – what role, if any, for fans’ favourite Ryan Mason? – all in time to launch a Champions League challenge with the same brand of football that has thrilled Celtic fans for the past two years.

West Ham face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague on Wednesday night.

The Hammers are bidding to win a first major trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at their route to the final.

Qualifying round

West Ham’s journey to Prague began on August 18, three Prime Ministers ago, with a home meeting against Danish minnows Viborg.

New Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio scored in a 3-1 first-leg win. Scamacca was on target again, along with Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek, in the away leg to secure a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate victory.

Group stage

The Hammers were drawn with Romanian side FCSB, Belgium’s Anderlecht and Silkeborg of Denmark in Group B.

They fell behind to FCSB at home in their first match but goals from Bowen, Emerson Palmieri and Antonio earned a 3-1 win and David Moyes’ side went on to breeze into the knockout stages with six wins out of six.

Last 16

The travelling fans were rewarded with a trip to sunny Cyprus and a tie against AEK Larnaca.

West Ham were struggling domestically, having just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and thumped 4-0 at Brighton in the Premier League, but Antonio’s double settled the away leg and a brace from Bowen helped them to a 4-0 win at home, and 6-0 on aggregate, to keep the European adventure going.

Quarter-final

Next up were another Belgian outfit, Gent, and for the first time in the competition West Ham failed to register a victory, with Danny Ings on target in a 1-1 away draw.

But despite conceding an early goal, the home leg was comfortable thanks to another Antonio double, Lucas Paqueta’s penalty and a stunning solo goal from captain Declan Rice to wrap up a 4-1 win.

Semi-final

Dutch dark horses AZ Alkmaar would be no pushovers in the last four having already accounted for Lazio and Anderlecht.

West Ham fell behind at the London Stadium to Tijani Reijnders’ first-half goal but Said Benrahma’s penalty and Antonio’s scrambled effort secured a 2-1 win.

In an edgy second leg, Pablo Fornals raced through to score the only goal in stoppage time to inflict AZ’s first European defeat in 26 matches and send the Hammers through.

West Ham face Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League in Prague on Wednesday night.

Here, the PA news agency shines a spotlight on the Italian outfit.

Pedigree

In qualifying for the showpiece in Prague, Fiorentina became the first team to reach all four finals of the major European competitions. They lost in the European Cup final to Real Madrid in 1957 and won the inaugural Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961 by beating Rangers 4-1 on aggregate in the final. Their last appearance in a European final was a defeat by fierce rivals Juventus in the 1990 UEFA Cup final.

Coach

Vincenzo Italiano, 45, spent most of his playing career as a midfielder with Verona. As a coach he led Spezia to promotion to Serie A in 2020 and kept them up the following season before moving to Fiorentina, where he guided ‘I Viola’ back into Europe for the first time since 2017.

Form

Fiorentina have enjoyed a fine end to their league campaign, winning eight, drawing four and losing just two matches since March, securing an eighth-placed finish in Serie A. They also reached the final of the Coppa Italia, where they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Champions League finalists Inter Milan.

Style

Italiano’s free-flowing side are the top scorers in the Conference League with 36 goals, at an average of just over two-and-a-half per match. Italiano also deploys a high defensive line in a bid to squeeze the opposition and control the tempo of the match while dominating possession.

Key men

Morocco World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat could be playing his final match for the Italians amid reported interest from Barcelona and Manchester United. Fellow midfielder Antonin Barak is one of Serie A’s most creative players but could be an injury doubt for the final.

Defender Steph Catley has signed a new deal with Arsenal, the Women’s Super League club have announced.

The 29-year-old has made 74 appearances for the north London side since making her August 2020 debut as a substitute in Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final with Paris St Germain.

Catley scored one goal and provided four assists across 32 appearances for Jonas Eidevall’s side this season and is a centurion for Australia having represented the Matildas at two World Cups and two Olympics.

She said: “It feels amazing – this feels like home. I’ve made some incredible friendships here and when the offer came around I knew exactly what I wanted to do and exactly where I wanted to be.

“I’ve never been happier playing football and I feel like this team is very special – we’re building something special and in the future we’re capable of achieving anything.”

Catley joins Lia Walti and Frida Maanum on a growing list of Arsenal players who have chosen to extend their stay.

Head coach Eidevall said: “I’m delighted Steph has signed a new contract with us. Steph is one of the best defenders in the game and brings so much to this group both on and off the pitch.

“She’s a model professional and has delivered time and again when called upon throughout my time here, so we’re all pleased to say Steph will continue to be a part of Arsenal for years to come.”

Head of women’s football Clare Wheatley added: “It’s great news that Steph has signed a new deal here at Arsenal. Steph is one of the top players in the world in her position and has been such a consistent performer in the time she has been here. She is a key part of this team and we’re delighted to say she will continue to wear the Arsenal colours moving forward.”

West Ham face Italian side Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League, looking to end a trophy drought stretching back to 1980.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the talking points ahead of the Hammers’ big night in Prague.

Declan’s destiny?

It is no secret that Declan Rice will leave West Ham this summer, but he is hell bent on signing off in style. The England midfielder is destined for bigger things with Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich the frontrunners for his signature. But first, Rice is desperate to emulate Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds by becoming only the third West Ham captain to lift a trophy – and the first in 43 years – and in doing so write his name into Hammers folklore.

Moyes’ future?

Similarly to his captain, David Moyes could become only the third West Ham manager to guide them to silverware, following in the fabled footsteps of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall. There is a growing narrative that were he to achieve it the Scot, who turned 60 this year, could be forgiven for deciding  to leave the club on a high, especially given their struggles in the Premier League this season which at times, he admitted, left him close to the sack.

Keeper quandary

Moyes is set to start with cup goalkeeper Alphonse Areola despite Lukasz Fabianski being the club’s number one. But if the match goes to penalties Moyes will have a big decision to make. Fabianski has an excellent spot-kick record – he has saved 11 in the Premier League alone. Areola, by contrast, dived the wrong way for eight consecutive penalties when West Ham lost an FA Cup shoot-out to Blackburn in November. If the final goes the distance Fabianski could be summoned from the bench and have a big part to play in this competition after all.

Czech mates

Full-back Vladimir Coufal and midfielder Tomas Soucek have had their sights set on reaching the final ever since the venue was confirmed; the Fortuna Arena is the home of their former club, Slavia Prague. Coufal has even promised to treat his team-mates to a famous Czech beer or two if they go on and lift the trophy.

Fiorentina form

West Ham remain the bookmakers’ favourites to win the tournament, but only just following Fiorentina’s storming end to the domestic season. Vincenzo Italiano’s side have won eight, drawn four and lost just two matches since March, securing an eighth-placed finish in Serie A. Their attacking style should suit Moyes’ counter-attacking tactics, but while West Ham have enjoyed a very agreeable draw on their journey to Prague, this promises to be tough.

Inter Milan stand in Manchester City’s way of the treble when they meet in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key players for the Italians.

Lautaro Martinez

Argentina’s World Cup winner has 30 goals in a staggering 67 games for club and country this season – 21 in 27 Serie A starts. A signing from Racing Club in 2018, Martinez has 79 goals in just 127 league starts for Inter. Two goals in the 2-1 Coppa Italia final win against Fiorentina last month underlined his ability for the big occasion.

Edin Dzeko

What price for the former City striker to deny them the treble? Dzeko scored the ‘other’ stoppage time goal in their famous 3-2 win over QPR to clinch the Premier League title in 2012. Dzeko netted the crucial opener in their semi-final first leg against AC Milan and bagged nine goals from 18 Serie A starts this term – along with five in Inter’s run to Saturday’s final.

Nicolo Barella

Part of the squad who lost the 2020 Europa League final to Sevilla, the midfielder has gone from strength to strength since joining from Cagliari in 2019. Barella is a relentless box-to-box player who won Serie A’s midfielder of the season award this term. He will be charged with breaking up City’s attacks and crucial in stopping the supply line to Erling Haaland.

Alessandro Bastoni

Another player with over 50 appearances for Inter this season. A 2017 signing for £30million, Bastoni has become an integral part of the Inter and Italy defence, being part of the Euro 2020-winning squad. He has 44 ball recoveries in 11 matches with a passing accuracy over 86 per cent in the competition and will need to be at his best to stop Haaland.

Andre Onana

In his first season at Inter after last summer’s move from Ajax, the goalkeeper has slowly established himself as number one. Samir Handanovic started the season in goal and Onana had to wait until October for his first league appearance. He has shared duties with Handanovic in the league and Coppa Italia during the run-in – as Inter finished third in Serie A – but will be expected to start on Saturday.

Tottenham are expected to announce Ange Postecoglou as their new manager after reports on Monday claimed the Celtic boss has agreed a two-year deal.

The 57-year-old Australian’s pending appointment will end Spurs’ long search for a permanent replacement for Antonio Conte, who they sacked in March.

Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason had respective spells in temporary charge as the London club failed to qualify for European football next season for the first time since 2009-10.

Postecoglou told Celtic principal shareholder Dermot Desmond on Saturday night of his decision to leave the Glasgow club and has now agreed a deal in principle with Spurs, with the option to extend.

Former Australia head coach Postecoglou admitted on Saturday, after Celtic’s Scottish FA Cup final win over Inverness had secured them the domestic treble, that his celebrations would soon be disrupted.

Neither club have commented but reports claim an announcement will be made when the finer details of the contract have been finalised.

When repeatedly pressed on his future after Celtic’s 3-1 Hampden win over Inverness on Saturday, Postecoglou said: “I anticipate enjoying this moment for the next 24-48 hours, as long as I can, before someone drags me away and takes my attention away from enjoying something that’s been hard-earned.

“The reality is, there’s probably players in that dressing room who won’t be here next year. That’s the nature of football.”

Postecoglou has won five domestic trophies out of a possible six after arriving from Yokohama F Marinos in 2021 and was linked with numerous Premier League clubs throughout this season.

He became a hero with the Celtic support, not just for resuming their success after a barren season, but also for implementing an attacking style of play and his connection with the fans.

Postecoglou, due to go on a family holiday on Tuesday, will now swap Glasgow for another rebuild job at Spurs.

Former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers has emerged as an unlikely favourite to succeed Postecoglou at Celtic, four years after leaving the club mid-season to take over at Leicester.

Assistant manager John Kennedy is also high up the list but reports claim Postecoglou hopes to take the former Celtic defender to Tottenham.

Cayon Rockets maintained their position atop the St Kitts and Nevis Football Association Premier League following their 3-0 drubbing of MFCR Old Road United at Warner Park on Sunday.

Devontay Carty scored twice in the- 20th and 63rd minutes while Mervin Lewis sealed the victory with a third in the 68^th.

Meanwhile, Bath United and Garden Hotspurs played to a 1-1 stalemate at the Nevis Athletics Stadium. Omarion Bartlette gave Bath the lead in the 13^th minute. It was a lead they held until the 84^th when Jeamaul Hodge pulled Hotspurs level to get a share of the points.

On Friday, a goal in each half led Security Forces to a 2-1 win over hosts Jones Group Sandy Point.

Everette Ritchen gave Security Forces the lead in the 30th minute. They held that lead until Zahmai Greene pulled Sandy Point level in the 65th minute. Parity didn’t last long as Donyelle Francis’ 70th minute goal gave Security Forces a rare win.

Meanwhile, Fast Cash Saddlers FC and St. Peters played to a nil-all draw, a result that Saddlers’ coach Samuel Phipps was happy to come away with.

“Picking up on point is good, we did not lose,” he said. “It was a fairly scrappy game but we came out with a point.”

St Peters’ boss Austin Huggins bemoaned his team’s missed chances.

“I think that we played well but too many chances went a begging,” he said. “We had chances to score, chances that I feel should have been goals, but we missed them; nevertheless, we’ve been able to get a point, looking forward to our next match.”

The weekend’s results, Cayon Rockets remain top of the table with 39 points after 16 matches while defending champions St. Paul’s United in second with 31 points, having played one game less. St Peters FC are third with 28 points with Old Road United Jets slipping to fourth with 27 points.

 Village Superstars (24) and Conaree FC (24) are fifth and sixth, respectively. Newtown United has fallen to seventh on 23 points with Bath United just above the relegation playoff zone in eighth with 19 points.

Garden Hotspurs are in the relegation playoff spot with 16 points. The three regulation spots are occupied by Saddlers United, Security Forces, and Sandy Point FC with 12, nine, and two points, respectively.

Leicester have confirmed seven players will depart the club at the end of their contracts in June, including Caglar Soyuncu and Daniel Amartey.

The announcement comes following the Foxes’ relegation to the Championship on the final day of the Premier League season last month.

Turkish defender Soyuncu joined in 2018 from Freiburg and has featured over 100 times for Leicester, while fellow centurion Amartey made his first appearances for the club during their Premier League title-winning season in 2016.

Youri Tielemans is also among those leaving, having announced his exit on Instagram last week after spending four years with the club since joining from Monaco in 2019.

Nampalys Mendy, Ryan Bertrand, Ayoze Perez and Tete are the remaining players who are to leave the King Power following the expiration of their contracts.

Captain Jonny Evans remains in discussions with the Foxes as his contract is set to expire this month, while an option has been exercised to extend Hamza Choudhury’s contract to June 2024.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has agreed to become Tottenham’s new manager on a two-year contract, according to reports.

The 57-year-old told Celtic principal shareholder Dermot Desmond on Saturday night of his decision to leave the Glasgow club and has now agreed a deal in principle with Spurs, with the option to extend.

Former Australia head coach Postecoglou admitted on Saturday, after Celtic’s Scottish FA Cup final win over Inverness had secured them the domestic treble, that his celebrations would soon be disrupted.

Neither club have commented but reports claim an announcement will be made when the finer details of the contract have been finalised.

Tottenham have been searching for a permanent new manager since sacking Antonio Conte in March, with first Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason placed in temporary charge.

When repeatedly pressed on his future after Celtic’s 3-1 Hampden win over Inverness on Saturday, Postecoglou said: “I anticipate enjoying this moment for the next 24-48 hours, as long as I can, before someone drags me away and takes my attention away from enjoying something that’s been hard-earned.

“The reality is, there’s probably players in that dressing room who won’t be here next year. That’s the nature of football.

“But I want them to enjoy it, I am going to enjoy it, and that’s all I am going to focus on until someone grabs me by the collar and tells me that I have to answer certain questions.”

He has won five domestic trophies out of a possible six after arriving from Yokohama F Marinos in 2021 and was linked with numerous Premier League clubs throughout this season.

Postecoglou became a hero with the Celtic support, not just for resuming their success after a barren season, but also for implementing an attacking style of play and his connection with the fans.

But he looks set to swap Glasgow for another rebuild job as Spurs finally look to appoint Conte’s permanent successor after the Italian’s departure on March 26.

Postecoglou is due to go on a family holiday on Tuesday and a deal could be finalised quickly.

Tottenham failed to qualify for European football next season for the first time since 2009-10 after an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers has emerged as an unlikely favourite to succeed Postecoglou at Celtic, four years after leaving the club mid-season to take over at Leicester.

Assistant manager John Kennedy is also high up the list but reports claim Postecoglou hopes to take the former Celtic defender to Tottenham.

Simone Inzaghi will send Inter Milan into Champions League battle with “the strongest team in the world” on Saturday evening.

Inter will go head-to-head with English double winners Manchester City in Istanbul, with Pep Guardiola’s men hot favourites to complete the same treble won by arch-rivals Manchester United in 1999.

However, Inzaghi has told his players not to fear the challenge ahead of them as they attempt to repeat the feat of their predecessors in 2010.

The 47-year-old head coach told a press conference: “I know we’ll meet the strongest team in the world at the moment. We face the best.

“We’re talking about a football match and with all due respect, I’m not afraid of anything.

“Guardiola is the best coach in the world and he has marked an era. We have respect, but we are proud to play in this final that we wanted with all our strength.

“It will be the last of 57 matches in which even the much-talked-about defeats have allowed us to get to where we will be on Saturday.”

Asked if the game would be the biggest of his illustrious career, Inzaghi added: “Yes it is, for me and for my players.

“[Andre] Onana and [Edin] Dzeko have played in the semi-finals, but nobody has ever made it to the final. It pays us back for all the efforts made throughout the year.”

Much of the focus in the build-up to the game has centred on the threat posed to Inter’s hopes by 52-goal City striker Erling Haaland, even though the Norway international has scored only once in his last seven appearances.

Inzaghi, who revealed he had unexpectedly bumped into Guardiola at a New York hotel during his honeymoon in 2019, said: “Haaland said City bought him to win the Champions League, but City isn’t just Haaland; they have numerous players who can put us in trouble.

“[Real Madrid’s Antonio] Rudiger managed to stop him very well in the semi-final and we’ll try to take our cue from that.”

That was a theme taken up by defender Alessandro Bastoni, who warned his team-mates not to ignore the danger posed by Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in particular.

Bastoni said: “City bought Haaland to win the Champions League, but they also have Bernardo [Silva] and [Kevin] De Bruyne who can put us in trouble.

“I watched a video of how Rudiger stopped Haaland and we will try to do the same. But it’s not Inter against Haaland, it’s Inter against City.”

Inzaghi remained coy over his team selection, insisting he is yet to make a decision over whether to start Dzeko or Romelu Lukaku in attack, adding: “A coach can have ideas, but maybe he changes his mind at the last second.”

VAR was wrong to intervene in the incident which caused Jack Grealish to be penalised for handball in the FA Cup final.

That is the view of former Premier League referee Mark Halsey, who feels the Manchester City and England star had been hard done by after conceding a penalty in the first half.

There was relief for Grealish and City at Wembley on Saturday, as they went on to win the final 2-1 despite Bruno Fernandes' equaliser from the penalty spot.

That 33rd-minute spot-kick came after a VAR intervention. Aaron Wan-Bissaka headed the ball into Grealish's arm from close range as the pair battled to reach a cross-field pass from Fernandes.

The match referee Paul Tierney initially waved away strong United appeals, but VAR called him to the monitor at the next break in play.

Halsey told Stats Perform: "The problem we have at present; we have got too many inconsistencies about when to get involved or when not to get involved. 

"VAR is here to stay and I think it's a great tool because we have seen many goals given where the system has then put the flag up and we have seen goals ruled out when the flag hasn't gone up and the player has been just offside, so that is factual. 

"But I'm seeing many subjective decisions being recommended for review – some being recommended, some not being recommended. 

"Then we have some handballs given, some handballs not given, and some holding offences in the penalty area recommend for review, some not. 

"Since Howard Webb has come in I think the consistency has improved, but there is still some inconsistency there, so there's a lot of work still to be done with VAR. 

"It's simple – VAR should only get involved if it's a clear and obvious error, an absolute howler. That is when VAR has to get involved."

Asked specifically about the Grealish decision, Halsey added: "If you look at the game, that incident, that passage of play, was that a deliberate act? No. 

"A player that deliberately moves his hand or arm towards the ball or if they are making themselves unnaturally bigger, then they run the risk of a handball being given against him. 

"But were his arms in an unnatural or natural position for that passage of play? I've played the game at very, very high levels as a semi-professional – for me his arms for that passage of play were in a natural position. 

"So I think we have a problem of understanding what is natural and what is unnatural. I don't think anybody knows anymore, do they?

"Paul Tierney is there [near the incident], he has seen it and he's not given it. On that situation, it is subjective. 

"So is that clear enough and obvious error by Paul Tierney for VAR to get involved? For me, no, because Paul Tierney is in a great position. He has possibly seen it and he thinks, 'Well hang on I don't think that's deliberate, I think arms are in a natural position'. 

"We don't know that because we don't hear the conversation, I'm just assuming. So VAR then gets involved and I question should David Coote have got involved. 

"Was it correct in law? Perhaps if he's [Coote] is refereeing his opinion is [Grealish] has made himself bigger, and his arms are in the air, and it is an unnatural position. 

"But Paul Tierney the on field referee doesn't give that. So was that clear enough and obvious enough for VAR to get involved? For me, no. 

"The law is an ass – we need players involved as well because it's no criticism of the referee. It's the law that needs looking at. It is the same with offside, no one knows what is or what isn't and it's the same with handball.

"There is so much subjectivity involved in handball – we have seen some awful decisions regarding handball. So it's all over the place and difficult for referees because the way the law is worded and obviously they are unsure what is natural and what is unnatural with your arms."

For Halsey, the solution to the dilemma over the handball law is clear.

He said: "Back to how it used to be, that it has to be a deliberate act. Deliberate with your arm moving towards the ball.

"None of this unnatural or natural? Was his arm up in the air? Did you make yourself bigger? It's simple – ask was that a deliberate act of handling the ball?"

Victory for Premier League winners City gave them a seventh FA Cup triumph, with Saturday's Champions League final against Inter giving Pep Guardiola's men a chance to win the treble, a feat which would match rivals United's accomplishment in 1999.