20 Most Successful Football Managers in European Club Football, Since 1950

The ranking of the 20 most successful managers/head coaches of men’s senior European club-football in the job no earlier than 1950, based on the ARL Football Club Success Ranking System

The ranking system scores points to clubs based on what trophies and how many have been won. Different trophies score different points based on a ‘glory’ criteria and only ‘competitive football’ trophies are considered.

This time, the most prolific managers in Europe are awarded the points to work out who comes out on top.

Competition Key	Points
SC: Domestic Super Cup	2  (1 point per ‘shared’ trophy, in the case of English FA Charity Shield/Community Shield)
UEFA SC: UEFA Super Cup	4
IC: Intercontinental Cup / annual FIFA Club World Cup / FIFA Intercontinental Cup	6
LC: League Cup	8
ECL: UEFA Conference League	8
NC: National Cup	10
EL: UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League	12
UEFA CWC: UEFA Cup Winners Cup	13
FIFA CWC: Quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup	15
CL: UEFA European Cup / UEFA Champions League	17
C: Top Tier League Championship	18

Tiers, leagues and domestic-competition point deductions

• Tier 1 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues currently ranked 1 – 5 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted 0 points; all three domestic cup competitions potentially available (super cups, national cups and league cups) are counted.

• Tier 2 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues currently ranked 6 – 10 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -4 points; any domestic super cup titles are not counted.

• Tier 3 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues currently ranked 11 – 20 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -8 points; any domestic super cup and league cup titles are not counted.

• Tier 4 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues currently ranked 21 – 55 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -12 points; any domestic super cup, league cup and national cup titles are not counted.

• The UEFA Men’s Association Coefficient can be viewed here.

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20 Most Successful Football Managers, Ranked

Position	Manager / Head Coach	Year of First Managing Role	Point Subtotals	Success Points
1	Alex Ferguson	1974 (East Stirlingshire FC)	Tier 1 club: Manchester United FC SC: 9 x 2 + 1 x 1 = 19 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 IC: 2 x 6 = 12 LC: 4 x 8 = 32 NC: 5 x 10 = 50 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 CL: 2 x 17 = 34 C: 13 x 18 = 234 Tier 3 club: Aberdeen FC NC: 4 x 2 = 8 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 C: 3 x 10 = 30	453
2	Pep Guardiola	2008 (FC Barcelona)	Tier 1 clubs: FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Manchester City FC SC: 7 x 2 = 14 UEFA SC: 4 x 4 = 16 IC: 4 x 6 = 24 LC: 4 x 8 = 32 NC: 6 x 10 = 60 CL: 3 x 17 = 51 C: 12 x 18 = 216	413
3	Carlo Ancelloti	1995 (AC Reggiana)	Tier 1 clubs: AC Milan, Chelsea FC, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Real Madrid CF, FC Bayern Munich SC: 6 x 2 = 12 UEFA SC: 5 x 4 =20 IC: 4 x 6 = 24 NC: 4 x 10 = 40 CL: 5 x 17 = 85 C: 6 x 18 = 108	289
4	Giovanni Trapattoni	1974 (AC Milan)	Tier 1 clubs: Juventus FC, Inter Milan, FC Bayern Munich SC: 1 x 2 = 2 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 IC: 1 x 6 = 6 LC: 1 x 8 = 8 NC: 3 x 10 = 30 EL: 3 x 12 = 36 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 8 x 18 = 144 Tier 2 club: SL Benfica C: 1 x 14 = 14 Tier 3 club: FC Red Bull Salzburg C: 1 x 10 = 10	284
5	José Mourinho	2000 (SL Benfica)	Tier 1 clubs: Chelsea FC, FC Inter Milan, Real Madrid CF, Manchester United FC, AS Roma SC: 4 x 2 = 8 LC: 4 x 8 = 32 ECL: 1 x 8 = 8 NC: 3 x 10 = 30 EL: 1 x 12 = 12 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 6 x 18 = 108 Tier 2 club: FC Porto NC: 1 x 6 = 6 EL: 1 x 12 = 12 C: 2 x 14 = 28 CL: 1 x 17 = 17	278
6	Ottmar Hitzfeld	1983 (Zug 94)	Tier 1 clubs: Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich SC: 2 x 2 = 4 IC: 1 x 6 = 6 LC: 4 x 8 = 32 NC: 3 x 10 = 30 CL: 2 x 17 = 34 C: 7 x 18 = 126 Tier 3 clubs: FC Aarau, Grasshopper Club Zurich NC: 3 x 2 = 6 C: 2 x 10 = 20	258
7	Miguel Muñoz	1959 (Real Madrid CF)	Tier 1 club: Real Madrid CF IC: 1 x 6 = 6 NC: 2 x 10 = 20 CL: 2 x 17 = 34 C: 9 x 18 = 162	222
8	Udo Lattek	1970 (FC Bayern Munich)	Tier 1 clubs: FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Barcelona SC: 1 x 2 = 2 NC: 3 x 10 = 30 EL: 1 x 12 = 12 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 8 x 18 = 144	218
9	Bob Paisley	1974 (Liverpool FC)	Tier 1 club: Liverpool FC SC: 5 x 2 + 1 x 1 = 11 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 LC: 3 x 8 = 24  EL: 1 x 12 = 12 CL: 3 x 17 = 51 C: 6 x 18 = 108	210
10	Louis van Gaal	1991 (AFC Ajax)	Tier 1 clubs FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Manchester United FC SC: 1 x 2 = 2 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 3 x 10 = 30 C: 3 x 18 = 54 Tier 2 clubs: AFC Ajax, AZ Alkmaar UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 IC: 1 x 6 = 6 NC: 1 x 6 = 6 EL: 1 x 12 = 12 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 4 x 14 = 56	191
11	Ernst Happel	1962 (ADO Den Haag)	Tier 1 club: Hamburger SV NC: 1 x 10 = 10 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 2 x 18 = 36 Tier 2 clubs: ADO Den Haag, Feyenoord, Club Brugge KV, Standard de Liège IC: 1 x 6 = 6 NC: 3 x 6 = 18 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 4 x 14 = 56 Tier 3 club: FC Swarovski Tirol NC: 1 x 2 = 2 C: 2 x 10 = 20	182
12	Luis Enrique	2011 (AS Roma)	Tier 1 clubs: FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain FC SC: 3 x 2 = 6 UEFA SC: 2 x 4 = 8 IC: 1 x 6 = 6 NC: 5 x 10 = 50 CL: 2 x 17 = 34 C: 4 x 18 = 72	176
13	Albert Batteux	1950 (Stade de Reims)	Tier 1 clubs: Stade de Reims, Olympique de Marseille NC: 3 x 10 = 30 C: 8 x 18 = 144	174
14	Arsene Wenger	1984 (AS Nancy Lorraine)	Tier 1 clubs: AS Monaco FC, Arsenal FC SC: 7 x 2 = 14 NC: 8 x 10 = 80 C: 4 x 18 = 72	166
15	Massimiliano Allegri	2003 (Aglianese Calcio 1923)	Tier 1 clubs: AC Milan, Juventus FC SC: 3 x 2 = 6 NC: 5 x 10 = 50 C: 6 x 18 = 108	164
16	Sven-Göran Eriksson	1977 (Degerfors IF)	Tier 1 clubs: AS Roma, U.C. Sampdoria, SS Lazio SC: 2 x 2 = 4 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 4 x 10 = 40 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 C: 1 x 18 = 18 Tier 2 club: SL Benfica NC: 1 x 10 = 10 C: 3 x 14 = 42 Tier 3 club: IFK Göteborg NC: 2 x 2 = 4 C: 1 x 10 = 10 EL: 1 x 12 = 12	157
17	Fabio Capello	1987 (AC Milan)	Tier 1 clubs: AC Milan, CF Real Madrid, AS Roma SC: 4 x 2 = 8 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 7 x 18 = 126	155
18	Johan Cruyff	1985 (AFC Ajax)	Tier 1 club: FC Barcelona  SC: 3 x 2 = 6 UEFA SC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 1 x 10 = 10 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 4 x 18 = 72 Tier 2 club: AFC Ajax NC: 2 x 6 = 12 UEFA CWC: 1 x 13 = 13	147
19	Guus Hiddink	1987 (PSV Eindhoven)	Tier 1 clubs: CF Real Madrid, Chelsea FC IC: 1 x 6 = 6 NC: 1 x 10 = 10 Tier 2 club: PSV Eindhoven NC: 4 x 6 = 24 CL: 1 x 17 = 17 C: 6 x 14 = 84	141
20	Fatih Terim	1987 (MKE Ankaragücü)	Tier 2 club: Galatasaray SK  NC: 3 x 6 = 18 EL: 1 x 12 = 12 C: 8 x 14 = 112	140