With Pep Guardiola surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson’s win record in the Champions League and Carlo Ancelotti on the brink of his fifth title, it’s time we looked at the top five managers with the most wins in UEFA Champions League history.
Carlo Ancelotti – AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid — 117 wins, 204 games
Carlo Ancelotti is one of world football’s most respected and decorated managers. It’s easy to see why. The Italian boss is the first coach to win the Champions League four times, twice with AC Milan and Real Madrid.
While “Carletto” holds the most wins (currently 117) in the Champions League, his time in Europe’s top domestic leagues will eventually end. He’s quite simply the greatest manager of his generation.
Pep Guardiola – Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City — 109 wins, 171 games
With a 3-1 decisive win over Leipzig in the 23/24 Champions League group stages, Pep Guardiola officially took over Sir Alex Ferguson as the Champions League’s second-most winningest coach.
Pep’s 14 major trophies at Manchester City ensure his primacy in the Champions League competition. He’s also committed to at least a couple more seasons at the Etihad, which will get him closer to Ancelotti’s win record. But should the Spaniard want to surpass the Italian in UCL games, he’ll need to coach at the top level for at least five more seasons beyond his City contract expiration in 2025.
Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United — 102 wins, 190 games
For 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson collected a staggering 38 trophies, marking him as one of football’s most iconic managers. His knack for eliciting top-tier performances from his players was unmatched, especially at pivotal times. Within those grand victories stood 102 Champions League games won, among two Champions League titles and two runner-ups.
Arsene Wenger – Monaco, Arsenal — 82 wins, 178 games
Although the Champions League title eluded the Professor through his Arsenal tenure, he qualified for the Champions League with Arsenal in twenty consecutive seasons. He nearly won against Barcelona in the 2006 final, which ended 2-1 in favor of the Catalans.
Nonetheless, the Frenchman finished with 82 Champions League wins, putting him fourth on this list.
Jose Mourinho – FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham — 80 wins, 151 games
Unsurprisingly, “Special One” Jose Mourinho makes the top 5 list for most Championship League games won. The Portuguese boss won 77 matches in the top echelon of European football, including two UCL titles with Porto and Chelsea, respectively.
