Carlo Ancelotti has the "experience and quality" needed to help Brazil win their sixth World Cup, according to former Selecao midfielder Lucas Leiva.

Ancelotti is reportedly set to become Brazil's new head coach at the end of the 2023-24 season when his contract expires at Real Madrid, where he has enjoyed a hugely successful association, winning a pair of Champions League titles over two spells with the club.

Brazil, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a disappointing World Cup that saw them crash out on penalties to Croatia in the quarter-finals, ending their hopes of lifting the famous trophy for a record-extending sixth time and leading to head coach Tite resigning from his post.

It has been 21 years since the Selecao last won the World Cup, but Lucas believes Ancelotti is the right appointment to bring international football's top prize back to Brazil at the next edition in 2026.

"It's the first time that a foreign manager takes over the national team," Lucas said. "It’s exciting because he's a winner, he’s won everything, wherever he went he was successful.

"We just hope that he can bring his experience and his qualities to the national team because we want to win the World Cup again.

"Now as a fan, I will be hoping that Ancelotti does a fantastic job, because at the end of the day, we want Brazil winning and if he can bring experience and quality and his knowledge about football to Brazil, not only the national team, but the country, I think it will be fantastic."

Ancelotti has won the title in all five of the major European leagues, while no manager has as many Champions League trophies as his four.

It is this status as a serial winner that makes Lucas so confident in Ancelotti's ability to lead Brazil to glory again.

Lucas, who played 24 times for his national team between 2007 and 2013, explained: "If you look at his career, he's won everywhere he went.

"I just hope that he can bring all his qualities here. He's experienced and he has talent to manage a national team like Brazil with so many players who didn't win the last four or five World Cups.

"If he's the right person, I think so and I think he showed in his career that he is able to do that. We could say many names here that could also be the right manager for the national team of Brazil. But I think he is one of the managers that is capable of bringing new ideas and new things for the team."

A disabled Manchester City fan was left lying alone in her own urine in a hospital bed after breaking her femur in two places amid the chaos at last month’s Champions League final in Istanbul.

Clare Watson, who is ambulant disabled following the collapse of her three lower vertebrae, travelled to Turkey with her grandchildren for the showpiece game on June 10, but suffered an accident on the way to the match which has forced her to miss six weeks of work.

Watson described her experience as “atrocious” after she and her grandchildren were forced to get out of the taxi they were travelling in to the Ataturk Stadium by police due to a road closure.

She recalled walking over “building site rubble” and tripped as she tried to avoid an oncoming vehicle.

“It was then clear from the pain that I needed an ambulance, but they would not allow my grandchildren to come with me, ” she told disability access charity Level Playing Field (LPF).

“Once at the hospital, I was told the severity of my injury and that I would need surgery. I was moved to another hospital for the operation the following afternoon but was ignored and received no attention for hours on end.

“Lying there in my own urine, soaking wet, was the most upsetting part of the experience.”

LPF has demanded answers from match organisers UEFA over how disabled supporters were accommodated at the Ataturk Stadium in the week following the match, but has so far received no response.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on a visit to Manchester last month that “not everything was perfect” in Istanbul, with many supporters reporting issues with transport and access to water and toilets.

Watson’s daughter is a nurse and advised her to go back to hospital when she returned to Manchester.

“I went to North Manchester A&E and they could not believe I had been advised to fly home,” Watson recalled.

“I was cared for there for another week, still in pain, but with the necessary equipment and plenty of care from my daughter.

“I am now at home and unable to work, having missed the game and brought back a metal rod instead of a souvenir flag.”

LPF fan liaison officer Liam Bird said Watson’s experience demonstrated “a clear lack of respect for fans” from UEFA, and that lessons had not been learned from the chaotic scenes at the 2022 final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

An independent report into that match found UEFA bore primary responsibility for what almost became a “mass fatality catastrophe” with supporters kept penned outside the perimeter of the Stade de France.

Wembley will host next year’s Champions League final. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said last month that the staging plans would be “tested to destruction” by all the agencies involved in organising it.

Bird believes Wembley will “undoubtedly provide better” but added: “This lottery of access and inclusion (based) on which year your team gets to the final cannot continue.

“UEFA need to engage with organisations with expertise in disability access and inclusion, as well as disabled supporters themselves, when planning all showpiece events.”

Football Supporters Europe is compiling a report into fans’ experiences at this year’s final which will be presented to UEFA.

UEFA has been approached for comment.

Mark Randall believes lining up for Larne on the club’s Champions League debut will top his experiences with Arsenal.

The Irish Premiership champions are set to make history on Wednesday when they begin their two-legged first qualifying round tie against HJK Helsinki in Finland.

Former Gunners midfielder Randall made 13 appearances under Arsene Wenger between 2006 and 2009, including two European outings and a brief cameo in a north London derby against Tottenham.

The 33-year-old trained and played alongside the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry back then but is now preparing for what he anticipates will be the highlight of his career.

“This will be at the top, I think, because of the achievement for the club and the fans,” he told the PA news agency ahead of the midweek visit to the 10,770-capacity Bolt Arena in Finland’s capital.

“It’s little old Larne but it’s a massive achievement and everyone’s really looking forward to it.

“I think this tops it because at clubs like Arsenal you get that every year but this is such a massive thing for the club and the town.

“It’s not expected over here, especially to have a good run. For me, it means a lot more, competing in that competition for Larne.”

Randall helped Larne claim the Irish Premiership title for the first time in their 134-year history last season.

The former England Under-18 international made his Champions League debut aged 18 in August 2008 when eventual semi-finalists Arsenal defeated FC Twente in the final qualifying round before he appeared in a group stage clash with Porto four months later.

Yet, following just two Premier League substitute appearances for the Gunners and a handful of loan spells, he moved on to Chesterfield in 2011 before arriving on Northern Ireland’s east coast via stints with Italian side Ascoli, MK Dons, Barnet, Newport, Crawley and Hemel Hempstead.

Randall is loving life in County Antrim after being tempted over by the vision of millionaire owner Kenny Bruce – co-founder of online estate agent Purplebricks – following the club’s promotion to the top flight in 2019.

“This was a new challenge for me and my family,” said the father-of-three. “We were looking to get away from England and this came up.

“I was a hundred per cent in, my wife was a bit worried at the start but as soon as she came over she absolutely loved it, the kids love it here, so it’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done.

“I wanted to come over and play in a league where I could win things instead of being in League Two, League One just floating about at mid-table teams.

“I could see the vision before I signed when I met Kenny and the manager (Tiernan Lynch) and they’ve been true to their word.

“I love it here. People around the town are just really great people. After games we’ll go and have a beer with the fans and it’s just little things like that that make a massive difference.”

Randall was initially tipped for big things by long-reigning Arsenal boss Wenger.

He has no real regrets about his time in north London but concedes his attitude and work ethic perhaps dipped below the required level.

“It’s the best coaching you will get at that age,” said Randall, who remains in contact with former Gunners team-mate Kieran Gibbs from that era.

“Back then, they had unbelievable players that you can learn so much from on a daily basis.

“At a top Premier League club, you’re going to get the best facilities, best training ground, best food and the lower you go, you don’t really get that.

“Probably, if I’m honest, my attitude and maybe my work ethic weren’t up to scratch as the top players are. They are 100 per cent professional and maybe that’s where I let myself down.”

Larne’s greatest European adventure follows two successive Europa Conference League qualifying campaigns, which included a run to the third round in 2021-22.

They will play next week’s second leg against HJK at Cliftonville’s Solitude stadium in Belfast after the synthetic pitch at their Inver Park home failed to satisfy FIFA criteria.

The 32-time Finnish champions have far more experience at this level and even reached the group stage in 1998-99, leading to clashes with Kaiserslautern, Benfica and PSV Eindhoven.

“We feel like on our day we can give anyone a good game,” said Randall. “I don’t think it’s going to be a walk in the park for them.”

Brendan Rodgers is intent on improving Celtic’s fortunes in Europe as he prepares to return to the Champions League stage.

The newly-appointed Hoops manager had two cracks at the continent’s elite competition during his previous stint at the club in 2016 and 2017, but mustered only three points on each occasion.

When the Hoops got back into the Champions League group phase last year under Ange Postecoglou, they collected just two points.

Rodgers admits the tournament poses a formidable challenge for any Scottish club, but he believes it is possible for Celtic to become more competitive.

“Your bread and butter is always Scotland, you have to ensure that you have dominance here,” he said. “But I’d like to think we can do something in Europe.
“It’s well documented over the years when the club hasn’t qualified (for the Champions League) or hasn’t had a great record in terms of European football, so even though that’s a challenge in terms of the resources other clubs in Europe have, it’s a great challenge for us.

“We’ve got Champions League football this season and we hope to have European football after Christmas, that’s a great challenge for us all.”

Rodgers would love to lead Celtic to the last 16 of the Champion League, while even parachuting into the latter stages of the Europa League would represent progress on previous campaigns.

“We all know the challenges of the Champions League and if you can get through to the knockout stages, that’s a big step for a Scottish team,” he said.
“When you go into Europe, there are competitions now where, with that little bit of luck and quality, you can go a long way.

“For us, it’s about getting through a qualification phase and seeing where it can take us. Europe is a great challenge for us, and it’s something we have to embrace.”

Elano believes Newcastle United "will become powerful in Europe" after they qualified for next season's Champions League.

The Magpies finished fourth in Eddie Howe's first full term at St James' Park, their highest top-flight finish since the 2002-03 campaign under Bobby Robson.

Howe was appointed in 2021 shortly after Newcastle were taken over by a Saudi-backed consortium with the club spending over £200million in the transfer market since, a number that is sure to increase in the upcoming window ahead of a busy fixture list next season.

Elano, who scored 14 goals in 62 Premier League appearances for Manchester City between 2007 and 2009, feels the huge financial backing for Howe should see them become major players in Europe.

"Things are getting much more equal," Elano told Stats Perform. "Especially the clubs that didn't have the structure of [Manchester] United, Arsenal, Chelsea, who were the winning clubs.

"Newcastle, for example, who are in the Champions League, are also a powerful club. And they will become powerful in Europe, because they have the money for that. It is a club with an absurd growth margin."

Elano revealed he wanted to wear Newcastle's colours after facing them and maintains the Magpies can catch up to the Premier League's elite clubs.

"I confess to you that I wanted to play for Newcastle," Elano added. "I played a few games against Newcastle and I saw the quality of the fans, the stadium and the structure of the club.

"In world football, today, whoever doesn't have the training structure, the staff, the club structure, will be left behind.

"If we look at the Premier League, Liverpool didn't fight for the title. Arsenal were six or seven points ahead and lost the title. [Manchester] United were almost out [of the Champions League] again. Chelsea are out of the next Champions League.

"So, the organisation and the project of each club needs consistent work. Otherwise, whether it's the Premier League or any other league, clubs will fall behind."

In a career that also saw him play for the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Santos, attacking midfielder Elano made 50 appearances for his national team Brazil between 2004 and 2011.

With fellow South American native Mauricio Pochettino being appointed at Chelsea after the Blues finished in the bottom half of the Premier League last season, Elano says the former Tottenham boss must be given time to succeed after a tumultuous spell at Stamford Bridge.

"I think he can be successful if they give him time to work," Elano said. "If they detected that he should be the coach, they should give him time.

"A player, in three or four months, can be sold for £100million. Because in three months you can score goals, put in brilliant performances, then someone sees you and takes you. Not the coach. The coach in three months is formatting the team, setting up the team with his ideas.

"You get a team of 20 players, each one is different, each one has his own characteristics. And the coach has to put this together. It takes time."

Former captain Andy Morrison expects Manchester City’s Champions League triumph to open the door to many more European successes.

City are celebrating becoming continental kings for the first time, as well as a memorable treble, after beating Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.

Victory marked the end of a long quest for the club and Morrison does not think City, and their inspirational manager Pep Guardiola, will rest on their laurels.

Morrison told the PA news agency: “The celebrations are well deserved. What they’ve done in the last four months has been miraculous. It was physically draining and even more so mentally.

“They’ll have a break but then start again next season. I know how the manager works. He will be relentless.

“It is so important to him to keep winning. It’s in his DNA and he’s done it all his career. Next season will be no different.

“He’s spoken this week about the two years left on his contract and he’ll want back-to-back (Champions League) titles. That’s the way he is.

“It’s a knockout competition and it’s so hard but they’ve done it once now and will believe they can do it again.”

City’s triumph saw them become only the second side to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in the same season, emulating the achievement of rivals Manchester United in 1999.

United’s success came when City were at one of the lowest points in their history, having sunk to the third tier of the English game.

Their revival began when they beat Gillingham in a play-off final to secure promotion at the end of that 1998-99 campaign and Morrison, who led the team at Wembley, says the journey since has been extraordinary.

Morrison, 52, said: “It is remarkable. The stigma City had to carry being in that second division, especially when their rivals won the treble – it was so difficult for City fans at the time but they stuck with the club.

“There were 32, 33, 34,000 every week cheering us on.

“Good things happen to good people. These fans deserve it. It is another part of the journey.

“There are good times, bad times, indifferent and incredible times. It is all part of the journey and at this moment it is magical for City fans.”

Sleep-deprived Manchester City winger Jack Grealish admits he has had “the best day and night” as the club celebrated their treble-winning season following the capture of the Champions League title.

Even a typical Manchester downpour and passing lightning storm could not dampen spirits as Pep Guardiola and his squad paraded their newly-acquired European Cup alongside the Premier League trophy and FA Cup.

City returned from Istanbul on Sunday afternoon and it has been one long party – with celebrations set to continue for a while longer as Grealish was overheard to ask striker Erling Haaland: ‘Are we having it?’ while on their one-mile tour around the city centre.

Haaland’s response was to empty a bottle of champagne over the £100million signing, who later told a large crowd assembled in St Peter’s Square: “For the past 24 hours I’ve had the best day and night. To be fair I don’t think I’ve had any sleep.”

The players had arrived for their parade via Metrolink tram from the Etihad Stadium but the weather delayed proceedings somewhat.

Supporters had expected to be let into the fanzone in front of the stage at 5pm but due to the threat of lighting storms that was pushed back by 90 minutes.

Rain started falling shortly after 6pm and, as a result, the start of the proceedings was delayed by 40 minutes but it did not deter the fans who came out in their droves to cheer on City’s squad and manager Guardiola, all wearing matching ‘Treble winners’ T-shirts.

Halfway around those now-drenched T-shirts started to be dispensed with as City’s 52-goal striker Haaland threw his into the crowd and, with the rest of the squad, arrived on stage 45 minutes later than expected still topless.

“We had to be the best parade with this rain, otherwise it is not Manchester,” Guardiola said to the delight of the waiting crowd.

“We don’t want sunshine, we want rain, so it was perfect. They (fans) are used to the rain.”

Manchester City’s match-winner Rodri has been named Champions League player of the year by UEFA as seven City players made the team of the season and Erling Haaland took goal of the season honours.

Rodri’s 68th-minute strike made the difference as City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to lift the European Cup and complete a remarkable treble.

And on Sunday the 26-year-old was named player of the season by UEFA’s technical observer panel.

Rodri played in all but one of City’s Champions League matches this season, with Saturday’s match-winner his second goal in the tournament this campaign.

The Spain midfielder was joined by six club mates in the team of the season as Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker were all included.

Inter’s Federico Dimarco and Alessandro Bastoni were also selected along with Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and forward Vinicius Junior.

City also scooped the goal of the season award through Haaland for his acrobatic strike against former club Borussia Dortmund during the group stages, when he twisted to turn Joao Cancelo’s curling pass into the net during City’s 2-1 win.

Rodri recognises he may have scored the most important goal in Manchester City’s history.

The Spanish midfielder tucked home City’s winner as they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final and completed the treble in Istanbul on Saturday.

The 26-year-old now hopes City can build on winning the European crown for the first time to establish a long-lasting dynasty.

Rodri, who has developed into one of the world’s best midfielders since his £62.8million move from Atletico Madrid four years ago, said: “From my point of view I want to thank the team. It’s a victory of many years of work at this amazing club.

“They trusted me to come here, even though the change wasn’t easy. It was a new culture for me and I arrive now scoring the most important goal in the history of this club.

“We deserve this. What a season. We deserve it.

“I said this before the game it was so important to win against Inter because we can build a legacy for the future. This is what teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan – these kind of clubs – did in the past.

“We believe we can do it again. I think that’s why it’s so important.”

City were not at their sparkling best at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

With Inter proving obdurate opponents, City could not replicate the swashbuckling football that swept aside Arsenal and Real Madrid recently, or even reproduce the control they exerted over Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

They instead relied on their character and quality and Rodri eventually made the crucial breakthrough in the 68th minute with a controlled strike from just inside the area.

Rodri said: “I think it was the only time I went forward in the game because Inter were so narrow and I wanted to make sure the two strikers weren’t comfortable.

“In that moment I just saw the space. In the first moment I thought about shooting strong but then I realised there were six or seven players in the goal area and I was like, ‘no, I’m going to put it inside the first post’.

“The end result was incredible but there was half an hour still to go so it was a big effort from all of us.”

The goal capped a memorable season in which City retained the Premier League – their fifth title success in six years – and beat arch-rivals United at Wembley to claim the FA Cup.

They are only the second side to win all three of those trophies in the same season, emulating United’s achievement in 1999.

Their success was savoured by owner Sheikh Mansour, who had travelled to Turkey to watch a City game in person for only the second time since he purchased the club in 2008.

The sheikh’s backing has propelled City from mid-table in the Premier League to the top of the European game and Rodri was keen to pay tribute to the players that paved the way for their success.

He said: “I said when I finished the game I don’t want to forget players like Fernandinho, Sergio (Aguero), David Silva, (Vincent) Kompany – many players who worked eight, nine, 10 years at this club to help it arrive at this level.

“We take the fruits (of their labour) and this victory is for all of them.”

City partied overnight at their hotel in Istanbul before leaving for home on Sunday afternoon. They were flown back to Manchester on a club-liveried Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The celebrations will continue on Monday as they hold an open-top bus parade through Manchester city centre.

Kevin De Bruyne revealed he was carrying an injury throughout the closing stages of Manchester City’s glorious treble triumph.

De Bruyne was not on the field as City capped a stunning season by winning the Champions League on Saturday, having finally succumbed to a long-standing hamstring problem.

The inspirational Belgian playmaker was forced off after 35 minutes of a hard-fought final against Inter Milan in Istanbul, which City went on to win 1-0 with a 68th-minute strike from Rodri.

De Bruyne said: “I give everything for my team and the people in the club know that. I feel proud that I’ve been able to do what I did.

“It’s a shame that it went the way it did for me here, but we go away winning the Champions League so there’s nothing bad towards it.

“I felt all right this week, but I’ve been told for two months it was a risk – but, you know, you take it.

“I did what I had to do. Obviously I missed some games, but the games like Arsenal, Bayern (Munich) and (Real) Madrid I managed to do it.

“I had some personal things happen with my family on top of that and I managed that, but, here, the hamstring just snapped.”

It was the second time De Bruyne had been forced off in a Champions League final after he suffered a bad facial injury in the loss to Chelsea two years ago.

Yet, after City came through, he did not want to dwell on his personal misfortune.

“I don’t look at football that way,” he said. “It is what it is.

“I felt the team was able to manage it and do their job. OK, the injury is never nice, but I was there for my team and did what I needed to do.

“I felt OK in the 35 minutes I played and I can’t expect more from myself.”

Victory fulfilled a long-held ambition for De Bruyne after enjoying considerable domestic success in his eight years at City.

He said: “I’ve basically been fighting all my career with my team to win this medal.

“I still don’t think it defines my career – I know who I am as a football player and person and I am happy and proud of the person I am – but obviously you want to win.”

Much has been made of what the victory could mean for City, both as a platform for the current team and for the status of the club as whole, but De Bruyne feels that is a matter for another day.

He said: “That’s not something I’m really thinking about right now. The season is so long we should just enjoy this moment.

“We’ve had subdued parties up until now, but now we can really enjoy it for a couple of days, as we should.

“We’ve not lost one game in the Champions League this season so I think we deserve it.”

Pep Guardiola hailed his players for writing themselves into history after Manchester City finally claimed Champions League glory.

City secured the prize they have craved for so long when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in a hard-fought final in Istanbul on Saturday night.

Rodri scored the only goal of a tough contest in the 68th minute at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, landing City’s first European crown after several years of near misses and completing the treble.

Guardiola hopes all of City’s successes, including their five Premier League titles in the past six years, will now be given due credit without the shadow of Champions League under-achievement hanging over them.

The City manager said: “Especially this season, the entire world has said if we don’t win the Champions League we will not be complete, it will not be enough.

“Winning these five Premier Leagues and arriving in three semi-finals, and two finals, is exceptional, but everyone says, ‘no, you have to win’.

“But winning the Champions League every season is difficult unless you are Real Madrid. The other ones sometimes arrive and do it.

“Not just for me, for the club, for our CEO and players – we had everything but not the Champions League, as if the Premier League is nothing.

“So I like this competition for the fact we won it, to be part of history. The players know they will be remembered for the rest of their lives.

“But now give credit for the five Premier Leagues we won in six years.

“It is important because people now forget about it and focus on creating a museum to put all our trophies in, because what we have done in the last years is unbelievable, not just the Champions League, but many titles.”

City had to dig deep to claim the trophy against a determined Inter side.

The Italians sat deep to soak up pressure but, with City also lacking their usual sparkle and losing Kevin De Bruyne to injury in the first half, they grew in confidence.

Inter were just beginning to assert themselves when Rodri broke the deadlock, driving from the edge of the area after a Bernardo Silva pass was deflected into his path.

They then lived on the edge with Federico Dimarco hitting the bar and having another good chance before Romelu Lukaku was denied by Ederson in the dying moments.

City will now celebrate their treble with an open-top bus parade in Manchester on Monday.

Guardiola has said he hopes City’s Champions League win will prove the first of many but his tongue was firmly in cheek as he responded to a question over whether the club could build a dynasty like Real Madrid.

“We are just 13 Champions Leagues away from them – just 13!” he said. “So be careful Real Madrid because we are on our way. If you sleep a little bit we will catch you.”

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City have earned a place among the greats after finally winning the Champions League.

City completed the treble on a glorious night in Istanbul on Saturday as they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in a hard-fought final with a 68th-minute Rodri strike.

City have dominated the domestic scene under Guardiola, winning five Premier League titles in six years as well as two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups, but European success had eluded them.

“You have to win in Europe to be considered a great team and we did it,” said Guardiola in his post-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

The challenge now for City will be to build on their triumph and establish a dynasty in European football.

Guardiola said: “I don’t want to disappear after one Champions League. We have to work hard next season and be there.

“There are teams who win the Champions League and disappear. We have to avoid that.

“Knowing me it is not going to happen but it is a big relief to have this trophy.”

Guardiola paid tribute to Inter for their dogged performance and to the City hierarchy for keeping faith in him after years of near misses in the competition.

“For Inter, I must congratulate them for their performance,” he said. “I know what they feel because we felt it two years ago.

“There are no words that can handle the pain but they are the second best team in Europe and that is incredible.

“The second word is for my sporting director, CEO and chairman. Normally when you don’t win the Champions League after so many years you are sacked. How many clubs destroy the project?

“It looks like this competition this year was in the stars.

“Now is time to celebrate. I am looking forward to Monday in Manchester on our (open-top bus) with three trophies.”

City have become only the second English team, after Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 1999, to have won the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season.

Guardiola said: “It is an honour from me to be alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. I got a message from him this morning and it is an honour.”

Match-winner Rodri was thrilled by the achievement.

The midfielder told BT Sport: “I’m emotional. This is a dream come true.

“It wasn’t easy. What a team we faced – unbelievable they way they defended, the way they counter-attacked. They deserve credit because they are a great team but I don’t want to forget about my lads. We did everything.

“Some of these guys are 20, 21, 22, some of them their first final, but we compete like animals.”

Defender-cum-midfielder John Stones was proud to have played his part.

Stones said: “It was the thing that we were missing and I feel so pleased. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this team, to create this history. It’s so special.”

Right-back Kyle Walker, who came off the bench, said: “I’m over the moon. I’m very rarely speechless, but my dream has just come true.”

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi felt his team could hold their heads high.

Inzaghi said: “We do have regrets because defeat is the worst thing in sport but at the same time, I have to congratulate my lads.

“They are very sad, disappointed, but they must be proud of their campaign and the final they played. We didn’t deserve to lose but we played against a top team.

“Manchester City deserve the Champions League considering what they have done in the past years.

“Tonight they played against a great Inter who cornered them, but I congratulate Guardiola. They have gone close to winning it many times but I would have liked them to wait a little bit longer.”

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola did not need to lead his side to an historic treble to put himself in contention for “the greatest” football manager of all time.

Rodri’s 68th-minute strike in Saturday’s 1-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan was enough to secure the Spanish manager a 12th major trophy with City and anoint him as the first manager to secure two European trebles, having also accomplished the feat with Barcelona in 2009.

Champions League winner Ferdinand heaped praise on the City boss using an unlikely artistic analogy to describe what he feels is Guardiola’s unmatched vision.

He told BT Sport: “Does he need this game to be recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest? We’re all I think in agreeance, he doesn’t even need it because of the way he sees the games. He has his teams painting pictures like we’ve never seen in my lifetime.

“(Like Picasso), Michaelangelo, however you want to do it.”

Ferdinand was equally certain Guardiola’s men, who needed several spectacular stops from Ederson to secure the European title, would never be forgotten, adding they were now: “Immortal. Statues galore.

“Listen, this team have played a brand of football that around the world is looked at, is admired. This has been a project and a process for a long time, for many years now, Pep Guardiola coming in. But these players have produced some football that is out of this world. Individually but as a collective this team will go down in history obviously.

“They deserve to. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. They can pass, they can play the fairytale football but also when need be they can dig in, roll their sleeves up and fight through games as well. Balance is everything in this team.”

Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Joleon Lescott was part of the Manchester City side under Roberto Mancini that secured a club-first Champions League berth in 2011. 

He observed a change in Guardiola over the course of a Premier League season that saw City looking up at Arsenal in the table before securing a third consecutive title and the FA Cup at the campaign’s close.

He told BT Sport: ” I think he’s been the most open and honest this season. I think it was the Spurs game when he came out and said he doesn’t recognise the team. No one’s seeing this outcome in the first half of the season. No one’s seeing a treble.

“Then he outed Kevin De Bruyne and wanted more, he did the same thing with Kyle Walker. So the relationship you have with a group of players, you can only do that if you are so close and you are genuine about your connection with a group of players.”

Cesc Fabregas, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, recalled the days the City boss was untested in England, even drawing doubters who wondered if he could recreate his success in the English game.

Since joining City in 2016 Guardiola has led the side to five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a Champions League.

Fabregas told the broadcaster: “He’s a very tough manager to play for because he demands the absolute best, but the day-to-day you have fun because he has a philosophy that every player dreams of.

“We first thought, not me because I knew the way he worked first-hand, but that when he came to England he would find it difficult. Can he bring this type of play to the country?

“And everyone doubted him. But he’s a very special man, a very special person, a very special manager and I am delighted for him.”

Pep Guardiola admitted “this f****** trophy is so difficult to win” after watching Manchester City finally end their wait for Champions League glory.

Rodri’s goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul to complete the treble derby rivals Manchester United achieved in 1999.

Asked how he was feeling after the presentation, Guardiola told BT Sport: “Tired, calm, satisfied of course. This f****** trophy is so difficult to win. It could not be different, we knew it.”

City were not at their fluent best as Inter frustrated them for long periods but they got there in the end, much to the Spaniard’s delight.

He added: “Winning this competition, the treble, is so difficult, so that’s why it’s not important the way, it’s enough to get it.”

City dominated the first half but could not find a way through Inter, and they were dealt a blow when star man Kevin De Bruyne limped off before the break.

However, Rodri’s sweet 68th-minute strike proved decisive and sparked wild celebrations on and off the pitch, though not before Federico Dimarco hit the bar and Ederson saved well from Romelu Lukaku and Robin Gosens.

Guardiola said: “At the end, Ederson, they could draw, maybe Phil [Foden] could have scored a second one. In this competition, it is [the toss of] a coin and that we were there, I think it was written in the stars. This season, it belongs to us and we did it.”

Asked what had changed about his side to finally get them over the line in Europe’s biggest club competition, the City boss said: “I think we defend a little bit better in the box with our four central defenders, who are proper defenders. We made mistakes, but I had the feeing we were solid.

“We didn’t make a bad, bad game, a little bit anxious at the start, but in general it was not bad and with the momentum we started winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and now finishing here.”

City’s momentum grew during the season after a testing start as Arsenal took the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, although they returned after the World Cup finals in determined fashion and timed their run to perfection.

Asked if it had been a frustrating start to the campaign, Guardiola said: “It was not frustrating. It was maybe not our best level, but Arsenal were beyond exceptional.

“But after the World Cup, the team made a step forward and we were there.”

Guardiola admitted he could not even begin to think about next season and the task of defending the club’s titles, but questioned the wisdom of his players heading off on international duty after their celebrations.

He said: “Right now, I don’t have any energy to think about next season, it’s impossible. We need to have a break, the season is too long.

“Most of these guys go to the national team to play again – honestly, UEFA, FIFA, think about it. We finished the Premier League what, two or three weeks ago? They’re on holiday and they come back for two weeks?

“These guys will have two or three weeks off and after, start again next season. It’s too much.

“Anyway, next season will be next season and of course we are going to start from zero. This is our job.”