Aston Villa supervisor Unai Emery has some legendary firm with regards to profitable European silverware.
He’s one in all simply 13 managers who’ve gained three or extra official UEFA membership competitions, with Aston Villa’s triumph within the 2026 Europa League last the fifth time he’s acquired his palms on the trophy. He’s forward of some footballing royalty with regards to the entire variety of European trophies lifted.
Listed below are the 13 managers who’ve gained three or extra European honours.
Notice: We haven’t included the Tremendous Cup, nor the not-UEFA-affiliated outdated Gala’s Cup. The place managers are tied general, we’re utilizing Champions League trophies as a trump card within the rating.
13. Udo Lattek – 3
1 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 x UEFA Cup, 1 x European Cup
One in every of solely two males in historical past to finish the outdated ‘massive three’ of UEFA’s unique cross-continental cup competitions, the legendary German supervisor – ranked thirtieth in France Soccer’s 2019 rating of one of the best of all time – gained numerous honours within the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties.
In addition to the eight Bundesliga titles he gained with Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach, he led the previous to their first European Cup (the primary of their historic threepeat) in 1974, and the latter to the UEFA Cup 5 years later.
Lattek additionally gained the Cup Winners’ Cup with Barcelona in 1982, masterminding a 2-1 victory over Normal Liege within the last.
12. Johan Cruyff – 3
2 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 x European Cup
After having fun with immense success as a participant with each Ajax and Barcelona, he repeated the trick from the dugout.
Earlier than he went on to change into the architect of every thing we now affiliate Barcelona with, he led Ajax to the 1987 Cup Winners’ Cup, through which a younger Marco van Basten scored the match-winner in opposition to Lokomotiv Leipzig within the last. Completely different occasions.
He gained the identical trophy a few years later as Barcelona supervisor. He later led the membership to an unprecedented 4 successive La Liga titles, capping off that golden period with the European Cup in 1992.
Not solely did he have an inquantifiable affect on soccer, however he boasted the silverware to again it up. You’ll be able to see the place the Guardiola comparisons come from.
11. Rafael Benitez – 3
2 x UEFA Cup/Europa League, 1 x Champions League
Rafa set sail for Merseyside in 2004, recent from capping off his distinctive stint as Valencia supervisor with the UEFA Cup.
He emulated his outdated rival Jose Mourinho in instantly profitable the massive one the next season, albeit with a special membership.
Chelsea’s 2013 Europa League trophy goes a little bit underneath the radar within the wider context of his profession. Basic Roman Abramovich period: chopping and altering managers, chaos and turmoil behind the scenes, however nonetheless silverware remained a continuing.
10. Jose Villalonga – 3
2 x European Cup, 1 x Cup Winners’ Cup
The supervisor when Actual Madrid boasted the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Francisco Gento and Raymond Kopa.
He was in cost when Los Blancos gained the inaugural European Cup in 1956 and remained on the helm after they retained it the next 12 months, though he’d left by the point they added a 3rd, fourth and fifth.
Villalonga subsequently took up a job at their cross-city rivals Atletico, with whom he beat his former membership in back-to-back Copa del Rey finals, and led to the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962.
He additionally gained the European Championships in 1964.
9. Pep Guardiola – 3
3 x Champions League
Just one man within the historical past of the European Cup has gained extra titles than Guardiola, and but it’s a testomony to his immense teaching profession that feels an virtually underwhelming return.
After the 2 Champions League titles he gained with that era-defining Barcelona facet, he lastly added a long-awaited third with Manchester Metropolis’s 2022-23 treble.
In contrast to the overwhelming majority of names on this checklist, Guardiola has spent his total profession in UEFA’s high competitors. Not as soon as has he did not qualify or dropped into the Europa League.
8. Zinedine Zidane – 3
3 x Champions League
It’s downright daft that Zidane has solely served as a head coach for 5 seasons and but boasts three Champions League trophies.
He did win a La Liga title in his second season at Actual Madrid, however we form of want he’d left it at one-and-done with a 100% Champions League success fee from his first stint. The last word footballing assertion.
We’re nonetheless not completely positive how good of a tactician or coach Zidane is, however his steely charisma and man-management expertise made him the right match for that group of confirmed winners. Will we see the identical when he takes cost of France? Watch this area.
7. Nereo Rocco – 4
2 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 2 x European Cup
A tactical visionary of the Sixties, Milan icon Rocco led the membership to no fewer than 4 main European honours. In addition to three Coppa Italias, two Scudetti and the Intercontinental Cup.
Arrigo Sacchi, Carlo Ancelotti, and Fabio Capello are all up there, but it surely’s onerous to argue in opposition to Rocco being the Rossoneri’s greatest-ever coach.
6. Sir Alex Ferguson – 4
2 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 2 x Champions League
In a completely honest world, we’d add a few bonus factors for Aberdeen(!) beating Actual Madrid(!!) in a significant European last.
He gained the identical trophy a second time comparatively early in his Manchester United tenure, earlier than occurring to dominate the primary 20 years of the Premier League period.
Manchester United gained the massive one twice, but it surely would possibly’ve been extra. In an alternate world, with out Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona, Fergie would possibly nicely have lifted two extra in 2009 and 2011.
5. Bob Paisley – 4
3 x European Cup, 1 x UEFA Cup
“The key is that our Liverpool staff by no means know when to cease working and dealing,” defined Paisley when he retired in 1983.
“At Anfield now we have at all times believed in gamers supporting one another and concentrating on not giving the ball away. You’ll be able to’t go charging ahead on a regular basis, willy-nilly. You should have endurance, and that is the place we will play the continentals at their very own recreation.”
Three European Cups. One FA Cup. An additional six league titles and three League Cups. Essentially the most adorned spell in Liverpool historical past.
4. Unai Emery – 5
5 x Europa League
One in every of solely 4 managers in historical past to win 5 European trophies. A fairly ridiculous feat, when you concentrate on it. Particularly when you think about that features the one main title in Villarreal’s historical past and an Aston Villa facet who’d gone 30 years with no main trophy.
Admittedly, Emery in all probability nonetheless has to go and do it at a Champions League degree if he’s ever to be thought of genuinely elite. His stints at golf equipment at that degree – PSG, Arsenal (he’d be outright high with six if the Gunners beat Chelsea in 2019) – didn’t fairly go to plan, however he’s absolutely earned one other shot on the massive time. Maybe he’ll even get there with Villa.
3. Giovanni Trapattoni – 5
3 x UEFA Cup, 1 x European Cup, 1 x Cup Winners’ Cup
Trapattoni gained every thing there was to win in his taking part in days with AC Milan. The UEFA Cup was lacking from his trophy assortment, however that competitors was launched the 12 months he left the San Siro – 1972 – shortly earlier than he hung up his boots for good.
An much more ludicrously adorned managerial profession then adopted. Too many home honours to depend, together with 10 league titles throughout 4 top-flight European leagues.
His 5 European trophies – two UEFA Cups, a Cup Winners’ Cup and a European Cup with Juventus, one UEFA Cup with Inter – spanned three many years, starting in 1976-77 and ending in 1992-93.
Trophies on the desk. Only a few maintain a candle to Lure.
2. Jose Mourinho – 5
2 x Champions League, 2 x UEFA Cup/Europa League, 1 x Convention League
The present-day Trapattoni… As exactly no person calls him.
Mourinho accomplished UEFA’s modern-day massive three by main Roma to the inaugural Convention League in 2022. He’s acquired the trio of trophies tattooed on his bicep.
Surprisingly sufficient, that’s the one piece of silverware that Mourinho has lifted since 2017. Has he misplaced his knack, or has he merely made a collection of poor profession selections? We’re about to seek out out – with Actual Madrid providing him a life raft again to the massive time.
And a particular point out to Barcelona’s 1997 Cup Winners’ Cup last victory over PSG, through which a younger Mourinho served as an assistant to Bobby Robson.
1. Carlo Ancelotti – 5
5 x Champions League
As many Champions League trophies as Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson – two managers who’ve cheap arguments to be thought of the best of all-time – mixed. Outrageous. Ridiculous. Certainly unsurpassable.
That’s in addition to being the one man to have gained the league in Italy, England, Germany, Spain and France.
Ancelotti himself would seemingly concede that others have formed the sport in additional profound methods, however with regards to in-game administration of a do-or-die knockout tie or man-managing a dressing room stuffed with world-class expertise and monster egos, there’s absolutely nobody higher.
Don Carlo additionally gained the Intertoto Cup with Juventus again in 1999. However we’re not counting that; tinpot compared to the majesty of ol’ massive ears.
TRY A QUIZ: Are you able to identify the 12 months these 26 English golf equipment final gained a significant trophy?
