Champions League-winning coaches: Carlo Ancelotti leads the way, Luis Enrique becomes seventh to triumph with two clubs

Luis Enrique has become only the seventh coach to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League with multiple clubs following Paris Saint-Germain's record 5-0 victory against Inter in the 2025 final in Munich.

Paris' first title was Enrique's second, the Spaniard having led Barcelona to the trophy in 2015, also in Germany, with a 3-1 victory against Juventus in Berlin. Enrique joins a club including Ernst Happel, Jupp Heynckes, Ottmar Hitzfeld, José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola to have guided two clubs to European Cup glory.

In all twenty-one coaches have lifted the European Cup/UEFA Champions League trophy more than once, but only four have done it more than twice and Carlo Ancelotti alone has managed the feat five times – at Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2024, he earned a record-extending fifth as Real Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0.

Pep Guardiola, Bob Paisley and Zinédine Zidane are the Italian's nearest challengers, all three-time winners. Ancelotti is also among only six coaches to land the trophy with multiple teams, and one of just seven who have won as both players and coaches.

Meet the most successful coaches and managers in European Cup history – the oldest, youngest and those who won it first as players.

Which coach has won the European Cup most times?

Carlo Ancelotti (ITA) – AC Milan 2003, 2007; Real Madrid 2014, 2022, 2024

A two-time winner with Milan as a cultured midfield general, Ancelotti seamlessly made the transition to coaching. He led the Rossoneri to victory in 2003 (vs Juventus) and 2007 (vs Liverpool), and it took the 'Miracle of Istanbul' to deny him another. An extra-time triumph over Atlético de Madrid in 2014 took him to three titles, then in 2022 he became the first coach to lead sides in five finals and the first to record four wins. Two years on, he extended both records.

Bob Paisley (ENG) – Liverpool 1977, 1978, 1981

Paisley assumed the reins from the lauded Bill Shankly in 1974, humbly announcing that he would do his best. Nine years later, he retired having led Liverpool to six league titles, a UEFA Cup, three League Cups and three European Cups. After victories in 1977 (vs Mönchengladbach) and 1978 (vs Club Brugge), a 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid in Paris in 1981 made it three titles in five seasons.

Zinédine Zidane (FRA) – Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018

Perhaps the finest player of his generation, Zidane won the Champions League just once before he hung up his gilded boots, thanks in no small part to his majestic volley for Madrid against Leverkusen in the 2002 final. Assistant to Ancelotti in 2014, he eclipsed that tally in his first three seasons as head coach, becoming the first man to manage a team to three straight titles.

Pep Guardiola (ESP) – Barcelona 2009, 2011; Manchester City 2023

A European Cup-winner as a midfielder with Barcelona in 1992, Guardiola won two editions of the Champions League in his first tenure as a coach with his old club, before venturing abroad to take charge of Bayern and City. He steered the English outfit to the final in 2021, losing out to Premier League rivals Chelsea. However, his side then beat Inter in the 2023 final in Istanbul to end a 12-year wait for his third Champions League success as coach.

Who are the two-time European Cup-winning coaches?

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) – Manchester United 1999, 2008
José Mourinho (POR) – Porto 2004, Inter 2010  
Jupp Heynckes (GER) – Real Madrid 1998, Bayern 2013
Luis Enrique (ESP) – Barcelona 2015, Paris 2025

Which coaches have won the European Cup with multiple teams?

2 Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 2003, 2007; Real Madrid 2014, 2022, 2024)
2 Ernst Happel (Feyenoord 1970, Hamburg 1983)
2 Jupp Heynckes (Real Madrid 1998, Bayern 2013)
2 Ottmar Hitzfeld (Dortmund 1997, Bayern 2001)
2 José Mourinho (Porto 2004, Inter 2010)
2 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, 2011; Manchester City 2023)
2 Luis Enrique (Barcelona 2015; Paris Saint-Germain 2025)

Who has won the European Cup as a player and coach?

Carlo Ancelotti (player: AC Milan 1989, 1990; coach: AC Milan 2003, 2007, Real Madrid 2014, 2022, 2024)
Johan Cruyff (player: Ajax 1971, 1972, 1973; coach: Barcelona 1992)
Pep Guardiola (player: Barcelona 1992; coach: Barcelona 2009, 2011; Manchester City 2023)
Miguel Muñoz (player: Real Madrid 1956, 1957, 1958; coach: Real Madrid 1960, 1966)
Frank Rijkaard (player: Ajax 1995, AC Milan 1989, 1990; coach: Barcelona 2006)
Giovanni Trapattoni (player: AC Milan 1963, 1969; coach: Juventus 1985)
Zinédine Zidane (player: Real Madrid 2002; coach: Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)

European Cup and Champions League-winning coaches – oldest, youngest and more

Most final wins in a row
3 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)

Oldest winning coach
71 Raymond Goethals (Marseille 1993)

Youngest winning coach
36 José Villalonga (Real Madrid 1956)

Longest gap between title wins
15 years Jupp Heynckes (Real Madrid 1998, Bayern 2013)

Winning coach by nation
13 Italy (7 different coaches)
12 Spain (6)
10 Germany (7)
7 England (4)
5 Netherlands (5)
4 Argentina (2)
4 Scotland (3)
3 France (1)
3 Portugal (2)
3 Romania (2)
2 Austria (1)
2 Hungary (1)
1 Belgium (1)
1 Yugoslavia (1)

Most final defeats
3 Marcello Lippi (1997, 1998, 2003)
3 Jürgen Klopp (2013, 2018, 2022)

Every European Cup and Champions League-winning coach

1956 José Villalonga (Real Madrid)
1957 José Villalonga (Real Madrid)
1958 Luis Carniglia (Real Madrid)
1959 Luis Carniglia (Real Madrid)
1960 Miguel Muñoz (Real Madrid)
1961 Béla Guttmann (Benfica)
1962 Béla Guttmann (Benfica)
1963 Nereo Rocco (Milan)
1964 Helenio Herrera (Inter)
1965 Helenio Herrera (Inter)
1966 Miguel Muñoz (Real Madrid)
1967 Jock Stein (Celtic)
1968 Matt Busby (Manchester United)
1969 Nereo Rocco (Milan)
1970 Ernst Happel (Feyenoord)
1971 Rinus Michels (Ajax)
1972 Ștefan Kovács (Ajax)
1973 Ștefan Kovács (Ajax)
1974 Udo Lattek (Bayern München)
1975 Dettmar Cramer (Bayern München)
1976 Dettmar Cramer (Bayern München)
1977 Bob Paisley (Liverpool)
1978 Bob Paisley (Liverpool)
1979 Brian Clough (Nottingham Forest)
1980 Brian Clough (Nottingham Forest)
1981 Bob Paisley (Liverpool)
1982 Tony Barton (Aston Villa)
1983 Ernst Happel (Hamburg)
1984 Joe Fagan (Liverpool)
1985 Giovanni Trapattoni (Juventus)
1986 Emerich Jenei (Steaua București)
1987 Artur Jorge (Porto)
1988 Guus Hiddink (PSV Eindhoven)
1989 Arrigo Sacchi (Milan)
1990 Arrigo Sacchi (Milan)
1991 Ljupko Petrović (Crvena Zvezda)
1992 Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
1993 Raymond Goethals (Marseille)
1994 Fabio Capello (Milan)
1995 Louis van Gaal (Ajax)
1996 Marcello Lippi (Juventus)
1997 Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund)
1998 Jupp Heynckes (Real Madrid)
1999 Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
2000 Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid)
2001 Ottmar Hitzfeld (Bayern München)
2002 Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid)
2003 Carlo Ancelotti (Milan)
2004 José Mourinho (Porto)
2005 Rafa Benítez (Liverpool)
2006 Frank Rijkaard (Barcelona)
2007 Carlo Ancelotti (Milan)
2008 Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
2009 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona)
2010 José Mourinho (Inter)
2011 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona)
2012 Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea)
2013 Jupp Heynckes (Bayern München)
2014 Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
2015 Luis Enrique (Barcelona)
2016 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid)
2017 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid)
2018 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid)
2019 Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool)
2020 Hansi Flick (Bayern München)
2021 Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
2022 Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
2023 Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
2024 Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
2025 Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)