The 10 greatest managers in the history of the Champions League!

Rising star

2024-05-16 22:37Published in Zhejiang

The Champions League has become the biggest club competition in the world. Paris Saint-Germain have changed several high-profile managers in recent seasons in their pursuit of the elusive Champions League trophy. Real Madrid's success in the season depends on whether they win the coveted Champions League trophy that season.

A number of managers have bonded themselves to this prestigious trophy, and here are the 10 greatest managers in the history of the Champions League.

10. Benitez

Rounding out the list in tenth place is Rafael Benitez. The Spanish boss has led a number of teams to the Champions League, having won the Champions League once in 2005 when he was in charge of Liverpool, and Rafael Benitez has won 54 of his 95 Champions League games, a 57 per cent win rate.

9. Klopp

Jurgen Klopp is ninth on the list, with the German boss winning the Big Ears Cup once in his managerial career. Liverpool won the Champions League in 2018/19 with a 2-0 win over Tottenham. Jurgen Klopp has won 58 of his 102 Champions League games, a 57 per cent win rate.

8. Van Gaal

Although Van Gaal has only won the Champions League once in his illustrious career, the Dutch giants could have won the Champions League for two consecutive seasons under Louis van Gaal's stewardship, with a whopping 60 per cent win rate (57 wins in 95 games) and eighth on this list.

7. Luis Enrique

After Pep Guardiola left Camp Nou at the end of the 2011/2012 season, Barcelona struggled. In the following seasons, they struggled on the European stage. Then came Luis Enrique, who had coaching experience at Celta Vigo and Roma. The front trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar was exciting and dynamic, with Barcelona winning the Champions League knockout stages against Manchester City, followed by victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich before Enrique faced Allegri Juventus in the final. With goals from Rakitic, Neymar and Suarez, Barcelona won the title with a score of 3-1. He also led PSG to the semi-finals in the 2023/2024 season, winning 64% of his Champions League career (29 wins out of 45 games).

6. Alex Ferguson

When it comes to the greatest Champions League manager of all time, it would be a crime not to mention Alex Ferguson. However, Ferguson's record on the European stage has never been as impressive as it has been in England. Winning two Champions League titles is a remarkable achievement in itself, but the reality is that United deserve more, with a whopping 54 per cent win rate in the Champions League (105 wins from 194 games).

5. Heynckes

Germany coach Heynckes could quite well be the most surprising name on this list. However, his record in the Champions League is quite impressive, and his incredibly high winning percentage in the Champions League has made him one of the most impressive managers in Europe. He has won the Champions League twice. He led Real Madrid to Champions League glory in 1998, 32 years after the Spanish giants last won the Champions League, his first season at Real Madrid.

The second time they won the title was at Bayern Munich in 2013, beating Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, and Bayern also completed the historic treble under the manager. With a 70 per cent win rate in the Champions League (33 wins from 47 games), Heynckes is one of the highest winning rates of any coach on this list.

4. Jose Mourinho

In fourth place is Portugal's iconic coach Jose Mourinho. The 56-year-old has become a household name as a manager, having won the Champions League twice and winning 53 per cent of the competition (80 wins in 151 games).

3. Zinedine Zidane

After Zinedine Zidane took over Real Madrid, he led Real Madrid to exciting football, especially in the Champions League, which won the Champions League for three consecutive seasons. From 2015 to 2018, the Spanish giants dominated the Champions League, with Zidane winning a whopping 60% of the Champions League (32 wins from 53 games).

2. Pep Guardiola

During Pep Guardiola's tenure at Barcelona, he won the Champions League twice in four seasons. In addition, in the 2022/2023 season, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City won the Champions League again, beating Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Inter Milan to achieve the treble. Pep Guardiola's Champions League win rate is as high as 64% (109 wins from 171 games).

1. Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has lifted the Champions League four times and could do so five times this season, depending on Real Madrid's performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final. Carlo Ancelotti has a 58 per cent win rate in the Champions League (117 wins from 203 games), although not as good as Pep Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane, with four wins putting him at the top of the table.

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