Five managers with most number of UEFA Champions League titles

Only one manager has won the competition four times.

Real Madrid beat Liverpool to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy for the 2021-22 season. The La Liga giants are the ‘Kings of Europe’ with 14 UCL titles, the most for any club by a big margin. On Saturday, both clubs played an exciting final at the Stade de France and saw Vinicus Jr. score the winner. With this win, Carlo Ancelotti cemented his reputation as the most decorated UCL manager of all time.

The tactician became the first manager to win the Champions League four times. He was tied on three wins with figures like Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley. He was the brains behind the bravery of the Real Madrid squad that beat the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool on their way to winning the tournament.

The incredible achievement by the Italian manager provides a perfect opportunity to look at the history books. On that note, here are the five managers with the most number of UEFA Champions League titles:

5. Sir Alex Ferguson - 2-time winner

Several managers have two UEFA Champions League titles under their belt. One of the legendary figures on that list is Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman was the reason behind Manchester United’s years of dominance in English football. He was at the club for 27 years, helping it to 38 trophies.

Those 38 trophies also had 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and most notably two UEFA Champions League titles. Sir Alex helped MUFC win the 1999 and 2008 editions of the prestigious tournament. 

4. Pep Guardiola - 2-time winner

Pep Guardiola also has two UEFA Champions League titles. He won the tournament for the first time in 2009 and then later in 2011, with FC Barcelona beating Manchester United in the final on both occasions. Many regard the FCB squad of that era as the best club team ever assembled.

Since then, Pep Guardiola has attempted to win the UCL several times with teams like Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The Spaniard has four Premier League titles with the Citizens apart from several other domestic cups. He is in search of a third UCL triumph.

3. Bob Paisley - 3-time winner

Bob Paisley is a legendary figure for Liverpool supporters. The Reds owe the former manager for helping the club become a European powerhouse in the late 1970s. He was the major factor behind the Merseyside outfit winning the UEFA Champions League three times in quick succession.

Bob Paisley won the European Cup in 1977, 1978 and 1981 with Liverpool. Today, the Reds the most successful English club in Europe with six titles and Paisley deserves huge credit for making it possible.

2. Zinedine Zidane - 3-time winner

Zinedine Zidane is now only the second manager in football to win the UEFA Champions League three times. The Frenchman created history by winning three consecutive UCL trophies with Real Madrid. He won the competition in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with the Spanish giants.

He is also one of the very few individuals to have won the Champions League both as a player and manager. Zidane was part of the Real Madrid team that won the 2001-02 edition of the tournament. 

1. Carlo Ancelotti - 4-time winner

Carlo Ancelotti created history by becoming the only manager with four UEFA Champions League titles. The Italian holds several records and this has to be up there as one of the hardest to achieve. He won two UCL titles with AC Milan in 2002-03 and 2006-07. He led Real Madrid to two wins. His first Champions League title with Real Madrid was in 2013-14. He won the latest of his four in the just-concluded season.

Carlo Ancelotti won the Champions League in 1989 and 1990 with AC Milan as a player. Among his many other records, one of the most impressive ones is being the only manager ever to win each of the top five European leagues in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. 

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, and Instagram and join our community on Telegram.