After being pipped to the scudetto, Coppa Italia holders AS Roma have vowed to deny Inter Milan the double in Saturday night's Italian Cup Final - the fourth in a row between the two teams.
''There's no way they're going to take this Cup winners badge off our shirts,'' said striker Mirko Vucinic, whose goal against Catania Sunday made Roma virtual Serie A champions for almost an hour.
Despite the continued absence of iconic skipper Francesco Totti, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is glad to have Ludovic Giuly and Christian Panucci available after injury scares and is determined to finish off a fine season in style.
''They say we played the best football in Italy this year. Well, we aim to prove it on Saturday and round off an excellent year,'' he said.
Spalletti said Roma were ''pumped up'' for the match after their ''natural deflation'' when they saw the title go Inter's way.
The final is the first to be played in a single-match format. Rome's Stadio Olimpico was picked as venue long before Roma became a contender.
But the Romans still hope to exploit home advantage.
''There'll be at least 40,000 'romanisti' screaming for revenge,'' said midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who gained headlines after the season conclusion in claiming that Inter had benefitted from refereeing favours.
Inter owner Massimo Moratti initially reacted to such complaints by saying he would send a youth team to play Roma, but soon changed his mind.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini will have a virtually full squad available apart from the banned Marco Materazzi and Julio Cruz.
Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be hoping to repeat the two-goal display that clinched the championship against Parma on Sunday.
The only doubt in the Inter camp is whether Mancini is staying on.
There has been intense speculation about his position ever since he told Italian TV after Inter exited the Champions League in March that he would leave at the end of the season.
Mancini made a fast U-turn but the Italian media say he and Moratti have yet to agree whether the coach should remain.
Rumours have been flying in recent weeks that Mancini is heading for defeated Champions League finalist Chelsea, with ex-Chelsea boss Jose' Mourinho going the other way.
Inter sources say Mancini and Moratti will have a ''heart-to-heart talk'' after the Cup Final to put the issue to rest.
The latest word in Inter circles is that Mancini is more likely to stay than leave, disappointing the Inter fans who were expecting the arrival of the 'Special One'.
Roma won last year's two-legged affair 7-4 on aggregate after a record 6-2 win in Rome.
Inter beat the Romans the previous two years.
