Italian football manager Carlo Ancelotti has cemented his legacy as the most accomplished coach in UEFA Champions League history following Real Madrid’s triumph in the 2024 final, securing their 15th title on June 1. Ancelotti, renowned for his managerial prowess, has achieved a milestone by becoming the first manager to claim league titles in all top five European leagues, adding to his five Champions League victories as a coach.
The 64-year-old maestro achieved his initial Champions League success with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 before replicating the feat three times with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022, and 2024.
Joining Ancelotti in the elite club of three-time Champions League winners are Bob Paisley, Zinédine Zidane, and Pep Guardiola.
Paisley, a revered figure in English football, guided Liverpool to three titles in 1977, 1978, and 1981 before his passing in 1996 at the age of 77.
Zidane, the French tactician, stands out as the only manager to secure three consecutive Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018, enhancing his status as one of the game’s greatest coaches.
Pep Guardiola, the accomplished Manchester City coach, shares the accolade of three-time Champions League winners, having claimed the title twice with FC Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 and once with Manchester City in 2023.
Below are the football managers who have won the UEFA Champions League twice in the history of the competition:
José Villalonga (ESP) – Real Madrid 1956, 1957
Luis Carniglia (ARG) – Real Madrid 1958, 1959
Béla Guttmann (HUN) – Benfica 1961, 1962
Helenio Herrera (ARG) – Inter 1964, 1965
Miguel Muñoz (ESP) – Real Madrid 1960, 1966
Nereo Rocco (ITA) – AC Milan 1963, 1969
Ștefan Kovács (ROU) – Ajax 1972, 1973
Dettmar Cramer (GER) – Bayern 1975, 1976
Brian Clough (ENG) – Nottingham Forest 1979, 1980
Ernst Happel (AUT) – Feyenoord 1970, Hamburg 1983
Arrigo Sacchi (ITA) – AC Milan 1989, 1990
Ottmar Hitzfeld (GER) – Dortmund 1997, Bayern 2001
Vicente del Bosque (ESP) – Real Madrid 2000, 2002
Sir Alex Ferguson (SCO) – Man United 1999, 2008
José Mourinho (POR) – Porto 2004, Inter 2010
Jupp Heynckes (GER) – Real Madrid 1998, Bayern 2013
