The UEFA Champions League is by far the toughest and most prestigious club competition in soccer. Qualifying for the competition is a herculean task in itself, requiring immense consistency in the league and ice-cool temperament in the qualifying rounds. Once that part is taken care of, the real challenge presents itself: facing the strongest teams on the continent.
Needless to say, it requires extraordinary technical know-how to outsmart the sharpest minds in Europe, which is why very few managers are able to string a series of impressive outcomes. Today, we will take a look at some top coaches who have racked up wins for fun in the UEFA Champions League. Here are the top five coaches with the most victories in Champions League history:
#5 Jose Mourinho – 77 Wins*
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has racked up an impressive number of wins in the UEFA Champions League, with his current win tally sitting at 77. Self-christened the ‘special one’, Mourinho has won the coveted trophy twice in his career.
The Portuguese mastermind first tasted Champions League glory with FC Porto in the 2003-04 season. It remains one of the most inspiring underdog stories in European soccer history. Mourinho returned to the summit in 2010, guiding Inter Milan to their first UCL crown since 1965.
#4 Arsene Wenger – 82 Wins
The only manager on this list without a UEFA Champions League winner’s medal, Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger won 82 matches in the competition. Wenger appeared in 20 editions of the competitions, 19 times as the manager of Arsenal and once in charge of AS Monaco.
During his 22-year spell in north London, Wenger could only manage to guide Arsenal to one UEFA Champions League final, in the 2005-06 season. Unfortunately, Barcelona, led by the effervescent Ronaldinho, were too hot to handle for the Gunners, with the Spanish outfit securing a 2-1 victory over their English opponents.
#3 Sir Alex Ferguson – 102 Wins
Manchester United icon, Sir Alex Ferguson won 102 of his 192 matches in the UEFA Champions League, emerging as the most successful manager in the club’s history. During his legendary 26-year tenure at United, Ferguson lifted the ‘Big Ears’ twice.
Ferguson’s first UEFA Champions League win came in the 1998-99 season, with the Red Devils dramatically beating Bayern Munich in the final. It also took the Old Trafford club to their first and only Treble. The Scottish genius won the trophy again in the 2007-08 season, beating Chelsea in the final. Ferguson’s United reached the UCL final again in 2009 and 2011, but Lionel Messi-led Barcelona rained on their parade on both occasions.
#2 Pep Guardiola – 103 Wins*
Widely hailed as one of the best coaches in the history of soccer, Pep Guardiola recently surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson’s tally in the UEFA Champions League. Courtesy of two late goals from Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku, Manchester City beat RB Leipzig 3-1 on Matchday 2 of the 2023-24 Champions League season, marking Guardiola’s 103rd victory in the competition in just 161 matches.
Guardiola has won the competition thrice so far. He won it for the first time with Barcelona in 2009 before reaching the summit again in 2011. The Champions League triumph over Manchester United in 2009 also ensured Guardiola’s first-ever Treble. Guardiola won his second Treble at the end of the 2022-23 season, as Man City beat Inter Milan in the final.
#1 Carlo Ancelotti – 109 Wins*
Real Madrid mastermind Carlo Ancelotti sits pretty at the summit, having bagged a whopping 109 wins in 193 UEFA Champions League matches. Given how well Los Blancos have played this season, Ancelotti’s tally should get a healthy bump over the course of the current campaign.
The Italian tactician has won the competition a whopping four times, more than any other manager in the history of the competition. He won the trophy twice at AC Milan, taking the Serie A giants to European glory in 2003 and 2007. Ancelotti then lifted the trophy again at Real Madrid in 2014, gifting the club their coveted ‘La Decima.’ His most recent triumph came with Los Blancos in the 2021-22 season, with the Whites beating Liverpool in the final.
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