Real Madrid into semis
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Two of the most successful managers in Champions League history faced off in a titanic quarter-final clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Neither Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola managed to outwit their opponent with both legs ending in a draw but Madrid booked their place in the semi-finals after knocking out the holders on penalties in Manchester last night.
Real Madrid have won the most titles, with eight Champions League victories in just 31 seasons since the reformat in 1992 and Ancelotti will be aiming to secure his fifth title. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the goalscoring charts with 140 goals in the Champions League, beating Lionel Messi’s 129 strikes, but who are the managers with the most wins in Europe’s top competition since 1992? Some tactical masterminds have managed their way to Champions League glory over the past three decades. We take a look at the coaches with the most individual wins to their names in the most coveted of club tournaments.
Coming in at first place with 115 wins is the legendary Italian Ancelotti. As can be seen above the current Real Madrid manager has won the Champions League four times – twice with the ‘Los Blancos’ and twice with AC Milan in the early 2000’s. No manager can match the amount of wins the Italian has had in the competition. The 64 year old has managed eight different clubs in the Champions League. Ancelotti’s Madrid will be aiming to reach another final when they take on Bayern Munich in the semis.
In second place is Manchester City’s serial winner Pep Guardiola with 109 Champions League wins. The Spaniard won it twice with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, before finally lifting the trophy again last season with Man City – the club’s first ever title. The Sky Blues were favourites to regain their title this season before being knocked out on penalties by Madrid. Guardiola has managed Man City, Barca and Bayern Munich in the competition. The manager with the third most wins is from the other half of Manchester. Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has 105 Champions League wins to his name, and won it in both 1999 and 2008.
In fourth place is the first boss on the list who never won the Champions League. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger managed 88 wins in Europe’s top competition, but the closest he got to winning the tournament was in 2006 where his Arsenal team were beaten by Barcelona in the final. Completing the top five is ‘the special one’ José Mourinho with 80 wins for six separate clubs. The Portuguese manager won the tournament twice – an incredible campaign with Porto in 2004 and with Inter Milan in 2010.
In sixth place is Louis van Gaal, who managed 57 Champions League victories. The Dutchman won it Ajax in 1995. Seventh spot goes to departing Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp with also 57 wins but taking six more games to achieve it. Klopp won it with Liverpool in 2019, and was a beaten finalist with Borussia Dortmund in 2013. In eighth is Rafa Benitez who masterminded Liverpool’s famous comeback Champions League final victory in Istanbul in 2005. He won 55 games. Ninth place goes to Diego Simeone who has twice been a beaten finalist as Atletico Madrid manager and has 52 wins, and finishing the top 10 is German Ottmar Hitzfeld with 47 wins – he won the Champions League with both Dortmund and Bayern.
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