Mitch Freeley

It takes a special kind of tactical mind to win the biggest prize in European club football. We profile five of the best managers to grace the tournament.

5 – Ernest Happel – Feyenoord & Hamburg

Austrian coach Ernest Happel is one of the most successful club coaches of his generation and became the first manager in European Cup history to lift the cup twice with two different sides. First, in 69-70, his Feyenoord side defeated the likes of AC Milan and Legia Warsaw before an extra-time goal from Swedish striker Ove Kindvall decided the final with a 2-1 win over Celtic. 

Thirteen years later, Happel would get his hands on Europe’s top prize for a second time with Hamburg. Defeating the likes of Olympiacos, Dynamo Kyiv and Real Sociedad on route to the Athens final before a single goal from Felix Magath defeated a start-studded Juventus side 1-0. 

Happel’s managerial legacy would go further than his European Cup exploits and will be remembered as one of only six managers to have won domestic league championships in at least four countries.  Upon his death in 1992, the Praterstadion in Vienna was renamed the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in his honour. 

4- Vicente del Bosque - Real Madrid

Few managers got a tune out of the famous El Galacticos team like Vicente del Bosque. Two Champions League titles at the turn of the 2000s meant that the Salamanca native joined fellow Los Blancos coaches José Villalonga & Miguel Muñoz in an elite club of Spanish managers to have won the European Cup on two occasions. 

The first success would come in 2000, a comfortable 3-0 win over fellow La Liga side Valencia at the Stade de France. Goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul was an eighth European Cup and the first-ever honour for del Bosque. 

Two seasons later at the 2002 final, Zinadine Zidane’s jaw-dropping volley gave the Galacticos a 2-1 win over German side Bayer Leverkusen. In a side crammed full of stars including Luís Figo, Roberto Carlos and Claude Makelele. Vicente del Bosque parted ways with Lose Blancos a year later and went on to create his own history with the Spanish national team, guiding La Roja to World Cup glory in 2010. 

3 - Alex Ferguson - Manchester United

Widely hailed as the greatest British manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson single-handedly turned Manchester United into the most successful side in England during a 26-year stint at Old Trafford. 32 domestic honours, but the Champions League was a less happy hunting ground for Ferguson. 

The 98-99 Champions League final proved to be the breakthrough as United sealed an unprecedented treble. The Champions League couldn’t have been won in more dramatic fashion either. Second half stoppage-time goals from Teddy Sherringham and current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær gave United a stunning 2-1 win over Bayern Munich. 

One of the standout features of Ferguson’s storied career has been the ability to evolve. This was evident in the second Champions League triumph over Chelsea in Moscow in 2008. Playing a more conservative 4-4-2 in the final Ferguson masterminded a penalty shoot-out win over their Premier League rivals. 

Two final defeats to Barcelona would follow in the subsequent years, but Fergie’s reputation as one of the greatest coaches in the Champions League was already assured. 

2 - Zinedine Zidane - Real Madrid

The latest manager to seal three straight Champions League titles in a row, Zidane is without a doubt a modern great in the Champions League.

Learning as an assistant from our number one on the list (more on that in a minute) Zidane scored three straight Champions League crowns between 2015-18. 

A first title came for the French coach in Milan, as Los Blancos held their nerve against city rivals Atletico eventually winning 5-3 on penalties. Next up came the demolition of Juventus in Cardiff, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to seal a twelfth European crown. An acrobatic volley from Gareth Bale made it a unprecedented third straight title in the Champions League era in a 3-1 win over Liverpool. 

Still only 47-years old, Zidane has time on his side and still could rack up a few more Champions League titles. 

1 - Carlo Ancelotti - (AC Milan & Real Madrid)

The ultimate Italian in the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti takes the top spot in our top five for three Champions League wins with two different clubs. 

A first European Cup came in 2003, as Ancelotti’s side held their nerve against compatriots Juventus to win a sixth Champions League title in a 3-2 penalty shootout win. Andriy Shevchenko would score the vital spot-kick for the Rossoneri.

Milan missed out on Champions League glory by the finest of margins, in what is widely considered one the greatest finals in recent memory. Three goals up at half time, Milan were cruising to a seventh European Cup against Liverpool, but Steven Gerrard had other ideas inspiring his side to a comeback to take the contest to penalties. Jerzy Dudek would be the hero as Milan lost 3-2 on penalties. 

However, Ancelotti would have the last laugh, defeating Liverpool 2-1 two seasons later, this time in Athens. Sealing his second Champions League crown as manager. Stints as Chelsea and PSG followed, where Ancelotti won a host of domestic titles. 

Real Madrid was desperate to win “La Decima” and turned to Carlo Ancelotti in the summer of 2013. One season later, Los Blancos had their tenth Champions League crown thanks to the tactical nouse of Carlo. In a tight and techy game with Atletico Madrid, club captain Sergio Ramos took the game to extra-time with a second-half stoppage-time goal. 

Broken by the late leveller, Atleti folded in extra-time and three goals in ten minutes from Marcelo, Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo realized the “La Decima” dream for the white half of Madrid.

Part of the charm of Carlo Ancelotti is his personable demeanour and ability to get the very best from the biggest stars in the game today. That is why mister Ancelotti is deserving to be called the best Champions League manager in the history of the competition.