Top 10 Football Managers With the Most Trophies in History

Top 10 Football Managers With the Most Trophies in History

The measure of a football manager's success is often counted by the trophies they collect. From Sir Alex Ferguson to Pep Guardiola, here are ten managers whose trophy cabinets shine brightest in football history. Four among them—Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and Luiz Felipe Scolari—are still active in management.

10. Ottmar Hitzfeld - 26 trophies

Spanning Switzerland and Germany, Ottmar Hitzfeld retired in 2014 with 26 trophies. His career highlights include two Bundesliga titles and two Champions League wins, one each with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. He also secured numerous national cups and international honors like the Intercontinental Cup.

• SC Zug: Nationalliga B
• Aarau: Swiss Cup
• Grasshopper: 2x Swiss Super League, 2x Swiss Cup, Swiss Super Cup
• Borussia Dortmund: 2x Bundesliga, Champions League, 2x DFB-Supercup
• Bayern Munich: 5x Bundesliga, Champions League, 3x DFB-Pokal, 4x DFB-Ligapokal, Intercontinental Cup

9. Jock Stein - 26 trophies

Jock Stein shaped Celtic into a Scottish and European powerhouse. His tenure included ten league titles and a European Cup victory, making Celtic the first British team to win a continental treble. Before Celtic, he won a Scottish Cup with Dunfermline.

• Dunfermline: Scottish Cup
• Celtic: European Cup, 10x Scottish League Championship, 8x Scottish Cup, 6x Scottish League Cup

8. Luiz Felipe Scolari - 26 trophies

Nicknamed 'Big Phil,' Scolari traveled extensively, winning titles in Brazil, Kuwait, China, and Uzbekistan. Most famous for guiding Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, he collected state leagues, national cups, continental trophies, and international cups throughout his career.

• Al Qadisiya: Kuwait Emir Cup
• Criciuma: Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Catarinense
• Gremio: 3x Campeonato Gaucho, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana
• Palmeiras: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, 2x Copa do Brasil, Copa Mercosur, Copa Libertadores
• Jubilo Iwata: J1 League
• Bunyodkor: Uzbek League
• Gangzhou Evergrande: 3x Chinese Super League, AFC Champions League, Chinese FA Cup, Chinese FA Super Cup
• Kuwait: Arabian Gulf Cup
• Brazil: FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup

7. Jose Mourinho - 26 trophies

Jose Mourinho earned his nickname "The Special One" with an array of trophies across Europe. Starting at Porto, where he won a Champions League, he then dominated at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. His trophy list includes multiple league titles, domestic cups, and European triumphs.

• Porto: 2x Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League
• Chelsea: 3x Premier League, FA Cup, 3x Football League Cup, FA Community Shield
• Inter Milan: 2x Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, UEFA Champions League
• Real Madrid: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España
• Manchester United: EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Europa League
• Roma: UEFA Europa Conference League

6. Bill Struth - 30 trophies

Bill Struth managed Rangers for 34 years, guiding the club through its most successful era. Winning 18 Scottish Premiership titles and 10 Scottish Cups, his strict discipline brought immense success at Ibrox from 1920 until his retirement in 1954.

• Rangers: 18x Scottish Premiership, 10x Scottish Cup, 2x Scottish League Cup

5. Carlo Ancelotti - 30 trophies

Carlo Ancelotti has earned trophies in every major European league and holds the record for most Champions League wins as a manager (five). His successes span top clubs like AC Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid, including multiple league titles and international club championships.

• Juventus: UEFA Intertoto Cup
• AC Milan: Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, 2x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
• Chelsea: Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield
• Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1
• Real Madrid: 2x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 2x Supercopa de España, 3x UEFA Champions League, 3x UEFA Super Cup, 2x FIFA Club World Cup
• Bayern Munich: Bundesliga, 2x DFL-Supercup

4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi - 30 trophies

Operating mainly in the Soviet Union and Ukraine, Valeriy Lobanovskyi led Dynamo Kyiv to great heights. Known for his scientific approach and pressing style, he won eight Soviet Top League titles, six Soviet Cups, and multiple Ukrainian championships. Internationally, his teams won two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and a European Super Cup.

• Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk: Soviet First League
• Dynamo Kyiv: 8x Soviet Top League, 6x Soviet Cup, 3x Soviet Super Cup, 5x Ukrainian National League, 3x Ukrainian Cup, 2x European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup, 3x CIS Cup

3. Mircea Lucescu - 38 trophies

Mircea Lucescu enjoyed success across Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. His trophy haul includes multiple league titles and cups with Shakhtar Donetsk, where he also won the 2009 UEFA Cup. His career spanned decades and featured innovative approaches like early data analytics in football.

• Dinamo Bucuresti: Divizia A, Cupa Romaniei
• Brescia: Anglo-Italian Cup
• Rapid Bucuresti: Divizia A, Cupa Romaniei, Supercupa Romaniei
• Galatasaray: Super Lig, UEFA Super Cup
• Besiktas: Super Lig
• Shakhtar Donetsk: 8x Ukrainian Premier League, 6x Ukrainian Cup, 7x Ukrainian Super Cup, UEFA Cup
• Zenit Saint Petersburg: Russian Super Cup
• Dynamo Kyiv: Ukrainian Premier League, Ukrainian Cup, Ukrainian Super Cup

2. Pep Guardiola - 41 trophies

At just 53 years old, Pep Guardiola already has 41 trophies, with more likely ahead. Beginning at Barcelona, where he won a historic sextuple, he continued success at Bayern Munich and currently Manchester City. His teams have dominated domestic competitions and finally secured a third Champions League title with Manchester City in 2023.

• Barcelona: 3x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 3x Supercopa de España, 2x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 2x FIFA Club World Cup
• Bayern Munich: 3x Bundesliga, 2x DFB Pokal, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
• Manchester City: 6x Premier League, 3x FA Cup, 5x EFL Cup, 2x FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup

1. Sir Alex Ferguson - 49 trophies

Sir Alex Ferguson stands alone with 49 trophies. His journey began with St Mirren before success at Aberdeen, including a European Cup Winners' Cup triumph. At Manchester United from 1986 to 2013, he built a dominant dynasty winning 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions Leagues among many others.

• St Mirren: Scottish First Division
• Aberdeen: 3x Scottish Premier Division, 4x Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup
• Manchester United: 13x Premier League, 5x FA Cup, 4x Football League Cup, 10x FA Community Shield, 2x UEFA Champions League, European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup

Summary Table: Top 10 Managers by Trophies Won

• 1. Sir Alex Ferguson: 49 trophies (1974-2013)
• 2. Pep Guardiola: 41 trophies (2007-present)
• 3. Mircea Lucescu: 38 trophies (1979-2023)
• 4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi: 30 trophies (1969-2001)
• 5. Carlo Ancelotti: 30 trophies (1995-present)
• 6. Bill Struth: 30 trophies (1920-1954)
• 7. Jose Mourinho: 26 trophies (2000-present)
• 8. Luiz Felipe Scolari: 26 trophies (1982-present)
• 9. Jock Stein: 26 trophies (1960-1985)
• 10. Ottmar Hitzfeld: 26 trophies (1983-2014)