Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is the most successful manager in UEFA Champions League history. The Italian coach has won the European trophy four times in his managerial career. 

The 62-year-old, who has also won two UCL titles as a player, is the only manager to win the continental championship four times.

Carlo Ancelotti’s UEFA Champions League trophies

Carlo Ancelotti has won the UEFA Champions League four times - 2003, 2007, 2014 and 2022. While the first two triumphs came with AC Milan, the next two were with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The 2003 success and eventual disappointment

Ancelotti’s first taste of Champions League success came in 2003 when his AC Milan dream team defeated fellow Serie A side Juventus in the final. A match that went goalless in regulation time was decided through penalties. David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero faltered for Juve as Milan won the game 3-2 on penalties.

Two years later, in 2005, the same Milam team lost the UCL final to Liverpool in what is now considered as one of the finest comebacks in football history. 

Goals from Paolo Maldini and Hernan Crespo had put Milan 3-0 up within the opening 45 minutes. While the first period was all Milan, Liverpool turned the tides within six minutes, with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Smicer and Xabi Alonso making it 3-3.

The game once again went to penalties where a certain Jerzy Dudek proved out to be the messiah as Milan went home without the honour.

Ancelotti completed his retribution in 2007 when the two met in the 2006-07 final. This time around, Milan managed to hold on to their 2-1 lead and the game ended in regulation time.

Carlo Ancelotti’s double with Real Madrid

His first season with Real Madrid started the Galacticos�?dominance in European football to an extent that between 2014 and 2022, the team has won five UEFA Champions League titles. 

The 2013-14 UCL final is particularly remembered for Sergio Ramos’s injury-time equalizer against Atletico Madrid. Real went on to win the final 4-1 in extra time. 

After a brief tour around Europe, the Italian returned to Madrid in 2022 and guided the team to their 14th European title, once again beating Liverpool in the final.

Before the 2021-22 triumph, Ancelotti was one among three managers to have won the UCL title three times as a coach. Former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley won the title in 1977, 1978 and 1981 while Zinedine Zidane did the same with Real Madrid in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Meanwhile, as many as 17 different managers have won the Champions League two times. This includes Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

Most successful managers in UEFA Champions League history

Manager	Titles	Years	Team(s)
Carlo Ancelotti	4	2003, 2007, 2014, 2022	Milan, Real Madrid
Bob Paisley	3	1977, 1978, 1981	Liverpool
Zinedine Zidane	3	2016, 2017, 2018	Real Madrid
José Villalonga	2	1956, 1957	Real Madrid
Luis Carniglia	2	1958, 1959	Real Madrid
Bela Guttmann	2	1961, 1962	Benfica
Helenio Herrera	2	1964, 1965	Inter
Miguel Munoz	2	1960, 1966	Real Madrid
Nereo Rocco	2	1963, 1969	Milan
Stefan Kovacs	2	1972, 1973	Ajax
Dettmar Cramer	2	1975, 1976	Bayern Munich
Brian Clough	2	1979, 1980	Nottingham Forest
Ernst Happel	2	1970, 1983	Feyenoord, Hamburg
Arrigo Sacchi	2	1989, 1990	Milan
Ottmar Hitzfeld	2	1997, 2001	Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich
Vicente del Bosque	2	2000, 2002	Real Madrid
Alex Ferguson	2	1999, 2008	Manchester United
Jose Mourinho	2	2004, 2010	Porto, Inter
Jupp Heynckes	2	1998, 2013	Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Pep Guardiola	2	2009, 2011	Barcelona

Featured photo: AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Zinedine Zidane may never have been hired as Real Madrid coach but for the success of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, but it is Guardiola who now must follow the Frenchman's example to complete his mission at Manchester City.

Zidane's Madrid travel to Manchester on Friday looking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit from February as the Champions League resumes after a five-month shutdown.

Much has changed since the sides last met. Then under pressure, Zidane, in his second spell in charge at the Bernabeu, has again interrupted Barca's dominance of La Liga with a run of 10 straight victories after Spanish football's return in June to take the title.

Even for the club where Champions League success matters more than anything else, the pressure is off Madrid as Zidane looks to protect his perfect record in the competition as a coach.

• Champions League last-16 ties: How they stand

Three times he led Madrid to Champions League glory in his first spell in charge between 2016 and 2018 and Zidane is yet to be eliminated from the competition as a coach.

"When he has done what he has done, winning three Champions Leagues in a row, taking two La Liga titles from Barca when they -- in this decade -- have dominated this competition like no other club, it shows his ability," Guardiola told DAZN.

"Although people may not believe me because he is from Real Madrid, I am very happy that things are going well because it is very good for football that things go well for people like him."

Barca blueprint

When Zidane was first handed the Madrid job, they were aiming to copy the formula of their rivals in appointing a former midfield great, who had only previously coached the club's youth team.

Guardiola won 14 trophies in four seasons at the Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012, including two Champions Leagues.

League titles and cups have continued to flow for Guardiola at Bayern Munich and in Manchester, but he has not tasted success in Europe's elite club competition since 2011.

Despite winning two Premier League titles among six major trophies since arriving in England, Guardiola admitted earlier this season his time at City would be judged "a failure" if he did not win the Champions League.

The pressure on City has reduced since the first leg as their two-season ban from European competition was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, meaning this month is not their final chance for three years to end their wait to win the Champions League.

However, Guardiola has hinted they may never get a better chance, with the competition reduced to one-off matches from the quarter-finals and all on a neutral site behind closed doors in Lisbon.

The former Barca and Bayern boss has often lamented the lack of atmosphere generated by the City support on big European nights compared with the cauldrons of some of the continent's more intimidating arenas.

"Of course, we have the chance to fight (again next season) but the situation that we have is not coming back again," said Guardiola. "I think the big clubs don't miss these chances to try until the last effort they have in their bodies."

Finishing the job against Madrid would be a major milestone as City's first knockout victory against a former winner in nine seasons in the Champions League.

Zidane has repeatedly stated his belief that Guardiola is "the best coach in the world".

But after finishing 18 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League this season, it is the former Barca ball boy, player and manager who needs to do what Madrid have made a habit of -- transforming miserable domestic seasons into memorable Champions League triumphs.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Javier Soriano

Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Villarreal on Thursday gave them their 34th league title and the players celebrated by getting together to hurl their manager Zinedine Zidane in the air. One of the greatest footballers to ever grace the Bernabéu during his playing days, his legacy as a manager is starting to supersede what he achieved with Los Blancos as a player.

With three Champions League, two La Liga, two Supercopa de España, two UEFA Super Cup and two FIFA Club World Cup titles, the Frenchman’s trophy cabinet as a coach is there for all to see. But his latest La Liga somehow feels different and helps solidify his pedigree as a coach.

Even during Real’s three Champions League triumphs under the Frenchman, he had always maintained that it was the league crown that he desired most. And once again, following their La Liga conquest on Thursday, Zidane reiterated that point.

"The Champions League is the Champions League, but La Liga makes me happier because La Liga is what it's all about," he said after winning his second La Liga title as manager. "This is a tremendous feeling because what these players have done is incredible. I am lost for words because I am too emotional."

When he walked away from the top job at the Bernebeu in 2018, not winning more La Liga titles was something that lingered on with him. So, it was of no surprise to anyone that the La Liga was his main target once he returned as Real’s manager at the start of the season.

How Zidane silenced the doubters

Back then many had already written off his chances of success. It was his second coming as coach of the club and the popular belief doing the rounds was that he would find life difficult with Cristiano Ronaldo sold and the team not as strong as it was in his first stint.

As it turned out, his naysayers couldn’t have been further from the truth. His second coming, in fact, has surely silenced those critics of his who claimed that his early successes with the club were all down to his star-studded squad.

While Karin Benzema has taken on the mantle of being the club’s go-to player, Zidane’s wonderful man-management has seen him develop and nurture young, hungry talent. Stars like Gareth Bale have been on the fringes, with the Welshman’s attitude failing to impress the World Cup winner.

His treatment of Bale has always been under the microscope and even more so in the last season where he was considered the be one of the team’s main threats. In theory, Bale is a world-beater, but his failure to fit into Zidane’s scheme of things has left him on the periphery and showed us that the Frenchman is so much more than just someone who got lucky with a strong squad.

Using young players from Real’s academy and playing attacking football in keeping with the club’s philosophy isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. However, Zidane has managed to do both and with distinction. Ferland Mendy, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, Lucas Vazquez, Rodrygo and Marco Asensio are a few youngsters who have benefitted as a result.

The latest La Liga title, in fact, makes the Frenchman the second-most successful manager in the club’s history behind only Miguel Munoz. Zidane’s men are still alive in this season’s Champions League and will be looking to go deep in the tournament and overturning a 2-1 deficit away against Manchester City.

Whether they can do that remains to be seen. However, regardless of the outcome, it’s safe to assume that no one will be questioning Zidane’s management credentials any time soon after a successful return to Real’s helm. The Frenchman, after all, was recently described as a “blessing from heaven�?by Real president Florentino Pérez and who better to judge Zidane’s effect on the club than the 73-year-old.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Gabriel Bouys

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Zinedine Zidane hopes Eden Hazard will play again this season but has confirmed the Belgian is feeling pain again in his troublesome right ankle. 

Hazard will miss Real Madrid's game away at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday, when Zidane's team could extend their four-point lead over Barcelona, who face in-form Villarreal. 

After undergoing surgery on his right ankle in March, Hazard was able to use the three-month suspension to recover. 

Yet he was forced off early against Espanyol last weekend after taking a knock to the same ankle and then sat out Madrid's win over Getafe on Thursday.

"I hope so," Zidane said, when asked if Hazard will play again this season. "Eden has been having trouble these last few days. We don't want to risk anything. 

"Hopefully it's minor, we hope we can see Eden with us before the end of the season. It's day-by-day, we know it was just a big hit, nothing more." 

Hazard has endured an injury-plagued first season since joining Real Madrid from Chelsea for 100 million euros last year. 

Asked if Hazard was becoming afraid of getting injured, Zidane said: "I don't think so, what you want is to be fine and to play. When he feels discomfort and isn't 100 percent, it's a problem for him and for everyone. 

"We're here for him. It's Eden's first year here, he wants to help the team and when he can't do it, he's not happy." 

Madrid are now firm favourites to win the title, having won six out of six games since the restart. 

They will pull seven points clear if they win away at Bilbao on Sunday, which would put the pressure on Barca before they visit Villarreal a few hours later. 

"The players know this is a long and difficult competition and after what they did during the lockdown, they have shown their desire to win everything," Zidane said. 

"So there is no euphoria because we haven't won anything yet. It's just about work and commitment." 

Madrid will be without Raphael Varane on Sunday after the defender hurt his neck during the win over Getafe. 

"It's just a precaution, he's been a lot better but it's in his neck so we don't want to take any risks," said Zidane. "It also means he can have a rest which will do him good." 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Jose Jordan

Zinedine Zidane warned his Real Madrid players on Wednesday to maintain their focus if they are to pip Barcelona to the league title ahead of their La Liga clash with Getafe.

Madrid top La Liga by a point after five wins out of five since the Spanish season restarted last month. Real have a game in hand on Barcelona and the better of the head-to-head record which decides league placings for teams on the same number of points.

Even though Real have a kinder run-in than the Catalans, who drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, Zidane warned the trophy could slip from their grasp if they lose momentum.

"It's my job to warn you you've won nothing yet. This is the harsh reality. The truth of the matter," Zidane told reporters Wednesday.

"There are six games left with 18 points at stake. We are one point ahead, nothing more.

"Being on the right track is one thing, but we will have to repeat this until the end of the season."

Real will be without Eden Hazard, who has been left out of the 24-man squad selected to face Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.

The Belgium forward limped off during Real's 1-0 win at Espanyol on Sunday and was seen with ice on his right ankle, on which he had surgery in March.

"We shouldn't panic," said Zidane about Hazard's condition.

"He spent a long time away from the pitch, he's had to go through some difficulties ... I have no doubt that Eden will be well again soon."

Zidane has a dazzling record with Real Madrid, winning three Champions Leagues in his last spell as manager.

In this season's competition, Real trail Manchester City 2-1 in a last-16 tie that is scheduled to be resolved in England in early August.

"I was a player, I went through this situation, I lived this experience. I know very well what it is, and the players know very well that nothing has been won yet."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Javier Soriano

Zinedine Zidane said Karim Benzema "shuts people up a bit" when he scores goals like his stunning volley against Valencia on Thursday.

Benzema brilliantly lifted the ball over defender Hugo Gillamon with his right foot and then shot with his left into the top corner as Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium.

Marco Asensio had earlier made it two after Benzema gave Madrid the lead, his brace taking his tally for the season to 21 goals in 38 games.

"His performance was magnificent, like the whole team, but his goal was extraordinary," said Zidane.

"We know that he is comfortable with his left foot but wow, to lift the ball in that way and to swing like that with his left foot, without the ball touching the ground, truly it's a very complicated piece of skill.

"It's beautiful to see it and I'm happy for him. 

"Often we see Karim as the number nine of Madrid and he must score goals, but he doesn't only do that. So when he does score, I'm happy because he shuts people up a bit, and the work, he always does that no matter what."

Benzema is a controversial figure in France after his alleged involvement in a blackmail plot against former teammate Mathieu Valbuena. He has not played for the national team since 2015.

But the 32-year-old has been in sensational form for Real Madrid this season and his latest goal was his 243rd for the club, putting him fifth on Madrid's all-time list.

"We know all these matches are finals so this was very important for us and for me personally as well," said Benzema.

"It was a beautiful goal, I think I can say it was beautiful, it went in and that was great. Sometimes I do that in practice and today I did it in the match."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Javier Soriano

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has hit out at Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane for suggesting that Kylian Mbappe's dream was to play for the Spanish club.

"Honestly, it's a bit irritating, it's annoying," the Brazilian said following PSG's 1-0 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, adding that "it's not the first time this has happened".

Zidane was asked about a possible move for the 20-year-old World Cup-winning star in a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

"We will see in the future. He has always said it was his dream to play for Real Madrid," Zidane replied.

A clearly irked Leonardo, who returned to Paris for a second spell in the role of sporting director earlier this year, said the comments were an attempt to unsettle the striker.

"I think that now is not the time to talk about this. He is a player who has two and a half years left on his contract with us, so to talk about what he wants, his 'dream', every time... If we can just stop this, pause this talk," he said.

"Kylian is a very important player for us. Now is not the time to destabilise him."

Mbappe started as PSG beat Club Brugge 1-0 with a Mauro Icardi goal to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

They travel to Madrid to face Zidane's Real in their next Group A game later this month.

Meanwhile, Leonardo said PSG would not rush into offering new contracts to veteran duo Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani, both of whom will be free agents at the end of the current campaign.

"We will see what happens as the season goes on. We are not putting a time limit on it, we will decide together, one thing or another. A year is an eternity," he said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oscar Del Pozo

Real Madrid's 5-0 thumping of Leganes on Wednesday was their biggest win in La Liga since his first spell as coach but Zinedine Zidane was hardly in a celebratory mood.

In the press conference after the match, one expectant journalist asked if it was Madrid's best performance of the season. "No, I don't think so," Zidane said. 

Another suggested this was at least their most complete showing so far. "There are people who will think it's our best game," Zidane said. "Not for me, but we have to be happy." 

A third finally questioned which matches did Zidane prefer, to which the Frenchman proposed the season's opening win over Celta Vigo or last week's 1-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League. 

The fact is there are few candidates, from a campaign in which Real Madrid have produced only in spurts, flitting between commanding and chaotic even within individual matches, let alone from week-to-week. 

Their win over Leganes was their most emphatic in the league since they beat Celta 6-0 under Zidane in May 2018 and there have also been resilient away victories at Galatasaray and Sevilla this term, not to mention goal flurries against Granada and Levante. 

But both Granada and Levante almost pulled off comebacks while miserable defeats away at promoted Mallorca and Paris Saint-Germain exposed a bluntness up front and fragility at the back that felt all-too familiar.

"The problem is we have to show every three days that we are good," Zidane said earlier this month. "That is the difficulty and that is what we do not do."

After 10 games, the juncture when teams can supposedly be judged, the picture is still not clear, yet there are signs, in Zidane's selection at least, that his second tenure is taking shape. 

A spine has been established with the places of Thibaut Courtois, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema seemingly assured. 

Read | Zidane dismisses speculation over Gareth Bale's future at Real Madrid

Dani Carvajal has been more reliable at right-back than the erratic Alvaro Odriozola while on the other side Ferland Mendy has yet to dislodge Marcelo, despite his 50 million arrival last summer. 

Casemiro remains the squad's only defensive midfielder and Fede Valverde has brought much-needed energy into the midfield, leaving the 34-year-old Luka Modric to be used more sparingly. 

Up front, Eden Hazard is still not at his best but enjoys a connection with Benzema. If Gareth Bale's fitness or future makes him unpickable, Rodrygo is an exciting alternative on the right, the 18-year-old's pace adding an extra dimension Madrid have so lacked in attack. 

"He has character," Zidane said. "And he is getting better and better."

Zidane's Madrid now have a base but with Real Betis to come at home on Satuday it remains to be seen whether they can be consistent enough to keep up with Barcelona, who have won seven games on the bounce ahead of their match away at Levante.

Lionel Messi's mesmeric performance against Real Valladolid served as an announcement that he is fit and firing again, meaning Barca's title rivals may no longer be afforded so much room for slip-ups.

"We have to look forward," said coach Ernesto Valverde on Tuesday. "What happens is you see Messi playing like that and it seems that it's easy, but it's not easy at all.�?/p>

Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid are a work in progress but their draw away at Alaves in midweek leaves them playing catch-up, with a tough trip to Sevilla on Saturday to come.

Granada and Real Sociedad, the league's two surprise high-fliers, meet at Los Carmenes on Sunday.

Fixtures:

Saturday 

Espanyol v Valencia, Levante v Barcelona, Sevilla v Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid v Real Betis.

Sunday 

Real Valladolid v Mallorca, Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna v Alaves, Celta Vigo v Getafe, Leganes v Eibar, Granada v Real Sociedad. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ozan Koze

Zinedine Zidane insists Gareth Bale was given permission by Real Madrid to travel to London on Monday and claims the Welshman never talks about leaving the club.

Bale has not played since injuring his calf during a game for Wales on October 13 and his trip to England has prompted speculation he will seek an exit from Madrid in January. But Zidane insists Bale had permission to be absent on Monday and Tuesday morning and that he is not aware the 30-year-old wants to be sold.

"It was a personal issue and he had permission yesterday to go," Zidane said in a press conference on Tuesday.

"It was a personal issue and he went, that's it, no story. He also went because he's not available to play.

"But I don't think he ever speaks about leaving. When he is available he plays, that's all there is to it."

Bale came close to a move to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last summer after Zidane said it would be "best for everyone" if he left Real Madrid. But the deal fell through at the last minute due to a disagreement over the transfer fee and Zidane is not expecting any fresh offers in January.

Unimpressed

"I don't think there will be an offer and I haven't thought about it either. Gareth is a Real Madrid player," said Zidane.

"What happened in the summer was the situation at the time and in the end, Gareth stayed and all the better for everyone.

"It's true what was said didn't help but for me, the result is the most important thing. He's an important player and it's important he plays and he plays well.

"If in January he says he'll stay, there will be talks about the transfer window in the summer. Unfortunately, people will always speak about these things but he's here and everyone is happy he's here."

Zidane claimed he has a "good relationship" with Bale but sources have told AFP the forward remains on bad terms with the Frenchman. Bale was particularly unimpressed by his omission from Madrid's squad to face Club Brugge in the Champions League earlier this month. After the match, Zidane put his absence down to a fitness issue but those close to Bale insist he was fully fit.

"I spoke to him and I spoke to James (Rodriguez). Both of them weren't available to play against Brugge and they didn't play," said Zidane. "There's nothing else to say about that."

Bale will miss Madrid's La Liga game at home to Leganes on Wednesday, along with Nacho, who has a knee problem, and Marco Asensio, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. James Rodriguez is also unlikely to be involved as he missed training on Tuesday due to the birth of his child.

Real Madrid are sixth in the table but only two points off the top, with a game in hand.

Read: Zidane’s defensive clean-up: Yay or Nay?

Featured image courtesy: AFP / Gabriel Bouys