The 10 best managers in Champions League history according to Alan Shearer
Former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United managers are among the greatest coaches in Champions League history, according to Alan Shearer.
During a recent episode of the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast, Shearer was asked to rank the best managers in the competition’s history alongside Micah Richards and Gary Lineker.
Here is the top 10 list that Shearer himself came up with.
10. Luis Enrique
The Spanish coach won the 2014-15 Champions League with Barcelona, largely thanks to the brilliance of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Fast forward to 2025 and the 54-year-old stands a great chance of winning the competition again, this time with PSG.
The perennial French champions have made it to this year’s semi-finals and they’re currently playing some of the best football in Europe. Watch this space.
9. Jurgen Klopp
The German boss has made it to the Champions League final on four occasions and he’s managed to win it once.
He first guided Borussia Dortmund to the final in 2013, but lost to Bayern Munich in the final. Klopp also took Liverpool to the final in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
While he lost two of those finals to Real Madrid, he did manage to win the competition in 2019 against Tottenham.
8. Vicente del Bosque
A two-time Champions League winning manager, there’s an argument that Del Bosque could be ever higher on this list.
He first guided Real Madrid to the trophy in 2000 before then winning it again in 2002.
7. Jupp Heynckes
The German coach won his first Champions League with Real Madrid in 1998 and his second with Bayern Munich in 2013. He also finished as a runner-up in 2012, losing against Chelsea in the final.
His quadruple-winning Bayern side from 2013 is widely considered as one of the best teams of this generation and Heynckes’ impact on that squad cannot be underestimated.
It’s also worth pointing out that no manager has a higher points-per-game record in the history of the Champions League than Heynckes does (minimum 50 games managed).
In 69 Champions League matches, the German boss averaged a whopping 2.23 PPG.
6. Ottmar Hitzfeld
Like Heynckes, Hitzfeld is also a two-time Champions League winning manager with two different squads.
He beat the odds in 1997 by beating Juventus in the final with Borussia Dortmund and he then went on to win the competition again in 2001 with Bayern Munich.
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5. Zinedine Zidane
For some, Zidane is considered the best manager in Champions League history, but Shearer only had him in fifth.
The Frenchman won three consecutive UCL titles with Real Madrid and also boasts a 100% record in the final.
“He has this aura about him,” Shearer said while discussing Zidane.
“For him to go from the pitch to (management) and still have that respect from all the players, to do what he did with three wins, tells you.”
4. Jose Mourinho
Having won the competition with Porto and Inter, Mourinho’s Champions League record isn’t to be sniffed at.
His triumph with Porto in 2004 propelled the Portuguese boss into stardom and his victory with Inter in 2010 further solidified his legacy in the competition.
READ: 7 of Jose Mourinho’s craziest moments in Turkey so far: Nose grabs, knee slides…
3. Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson managed a total of 206 games in the Champions League across 22 seasons.
He first got his hands on the trophy in 1999 as Manchester United beat Bayern Munich in the final thanks to an emphatic late comeback.
The Scottish boss then had to wait until 2008 until his side made the final again, where they beat Chelsea on penalties.
Ferguson also made it to the final in 2009 and 2011, but lost against Barcelona on both occasions.
“What was impressive about him was how he continued to build his team when he knew that team was at its peak and he had to start again,” Shearer said.
“He wasn’t afraid to get rid of players – as soon as their time was up they were out the door.”
2. Pep Guardiola
It’s widely considered that Guardiola’s Barcelona team is the best side to ever grace the Champions League. In particular, the 2010-11 squad that dominated the competition with their tiki-taka style.
After leaving Barcelona in 2012, Guardiola struggled for a few years in Europe, particularly between 2013 and 2020 as he failed to make a final with Bayern Munich or Manchester City in those years.
However, after coming agonisingly close to winning it in 2021, he did get Manchester City over the line in 2023 to claim his third UCL title.
1. Carlo Ancelotti
A five-time winner of the competition, it’s no surprise that Shearer had Ancelotti in first place.
The Italian boss has managed a total of 217 games in the Champions League, which is more than any other manager in the competition’s history.
“He can’t have the amount of success he’s had without having a genius brain,” Shearer said.