In competitive football, it’s not just enough to have the best players to win trophies. To be successful, you also need a great coach who can mold a group of talented individuals into a title-winning team.
A few coaches have distinguished themselves as the best above the rest over the years. Winners who have consistently coached their various teams to title successes. However, there are certain coaches who have won the a lot trophies in football.
Here are the top coaches with the most trophies in football history.
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1. Sir Alex Ferguson – 49 Trophies
The great Scot is arguably the greatest manager in football history, having won over 49 titles across various competitions. These include domestic leagues, cups, and international triumphs during his coaching career in Scotland and England.
During his time in Scotland, Sir Alex successfully broke the duopoly of Celtic FC and Glasgow Rangers FC, helping Aberdeen FC win multiple Scottish League and Cup titles.
However, It was his time with Manchester United that catapulted him to legendary status. Alex Ferguson won a humongous 37 titles with the Red Devils, to help establish them as one of the best teams in England, and himself as one of the greatest coaches to manage in the beautiful game. He was able to manage some of the greatest players to play for Manchester United.
2. Mircea Lucescu – 36 Trophies
The Romanian is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. His coaching career spans various countries from his native Romania to Turkey, Ukraine, Italy to mention a few.
Over a career that has spanned 41 years and counting, the 75-year-old has been able to win about 36 titles as manager. He is currently managing one of Ukraine’s best club sides Dynamo Kyiv so don’t rule him out from adding more trophies to his haul.
3. Valeriy Lobanovskyi – 33 Trophies
Valeriy Lobanovskyi was one of the most successful coaches with the most trophies won. He was а Soviet and Ukrainian football player and manager.
As a coach, he managed 7 teams, including United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine and the Soviet Union. Lobanovskyi’s Dynamo Kyiv team became the first side from the Soviet Union to win a major European trophy in 1975, when they defeated Hungarian side Ferencváros in the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Throughout his managerial career Valeriy Lobanovskyi won 33 official trophies, making him the one of the most decorated manager of all time.
4. Josep Guardiola – 32 Trophies
Pep as he is popularly known is one of the best and most successful managers in the modern game. The former Spanish and Barcelona FC midfielder has transitioned seamlessly from player to successful manager. Pep has so far won 32 titles coaching some of the best teams in the world like Barcelona, Bayern Munich FC, and Manchester City FC.
The array of trophies he has won is equally intimidating, from domestic leagues and cups to Champions League trophies and World Club cup successes. Having won so many titles in such a short span, many will not bet against Pep adding to his trophy collection with a good chunk of his career still ahead of him.
5. Luis Felipe Scolari – 27 Trophies
The 72-year-old Brazilian tactician has had quite a good career, to put it lightly. Scolari has managed many teams across various continents, from South America to Europe and the Middle East. He has won over 26 major titles as a coach. The most famous of which a World Cup triumph with his native Brazil in 2002.
6. Jock Stein – 26 Trophies
Jock Stein was a phenomenal centre-half for Celtic as a player, but his managerial career for the Hoops is what he will be remembered for. He began his managerial career in 1960 with Dunfermline.
Jock Stein was the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic. He also lead Celtic to nine consecutive Scottish League championships between 1966 and 1974 while winning the Scottish League Cup six successive times.
7. Jose Mourinho – 26 trophies
The Portuguese manager is not just one of the coaches with the most trophies in football history but also one of the highest-paid football coaches.
Mourinho has won a total of 26 trophies in his managerial career; that is if you exclude the trophies he won as an assistant coach at Barcelona and FC Porto.
He is currently the head coach of AS Roma and won his first title with the Giallorossi when his team clinched the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League.
With that feat, Jose Mourinho became the first coach to achieve the UEFA treble by winning the Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, and Europa Conference League (which replaced the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup).
8. Ottmar Hitzfeld – 25 Trophies
The 72-year-old former Switzerland manager is one of the best coaches Germany has ever produced. He was nicknamed ‘der general’ because of his commanding presence.
During his 31-year coaching career, Hitzfeld won an impressive 25 titles primarily with German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Ottmar won domestic leagues and cups, as well as a Champions League title. He also clinched a World Club cup title before his retirement in 2014.