In Europe, the Champions League is seen as the most demanding title among the players, managers, and clubs from all over Europe. The Giant clubs compete for this specific trophy every year, with the prestige and financial rewards received from the tournament one of the biggest in club football. Achieving success in this competition is usually seen by most players and managers as the benchmark of club-level achievement in Europe. For many managers, winning the Champions League is the ultimate goal. Some managers, however, have managed to win the competition multiple times, some with multiple teams as well. Without further due, here are the interesting football facts of five managers with the most Champions League titles.

Read Also: Most Goals in Champions League 2022-23 Season

Football Facts: Managers with most UCL titles (Top Five)

Sir Alex Ferguson | 2 Champions League titles

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest managers in the history of football. The legendary manager is one of the most decorated managers in the history of football, with two Champions League titles as part of his extensive trophy haul.

Sir Alex Ferguson won his first title in the 1998-99 season when his Manchester United side defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final. The Scottish manager won his second title in the 2007-08 season after his side defeated Chelsea on penalties in the final in Moscow.

Despite being one of the best managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson won the competition only twice. His Manchester United side lost two finals, both against Guardiola's Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola | 3 Champions League titles

Many regard Pep Guardiola as the greatest manager of his generation due to his success with all the clubs he has managed. The Spanish manager has won the competition thrice in his managerial career, two times with FC Barcelona and one with Manchester City.

Guardiola won his first Champions League title in his first season in charge of Barcelona, with his side defeating Manchester United 2-0 in 2008-09 as part of their first-ever treble. The former Barcelona midfielder was 38 years old at the time, making him the youngest manager to win the competition to date.

He won his second title two years later in the 2010-11 season, defeating the same opponent 3-1 in the final. Lionel Messi was the star of both triumphs, scoring both times. Then he managed Bayern but wasn't able to bring any Champions League titles to the German Club. Finally, his 12 years of wait came to an end when Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Final of the UCL 2022-23 season.

Zinedine Zidane | 3 Champions League titles

Zinedine Zidane led Real Madrid in its most dominant period of the 21st century. The Frenchman won three titles with Los Blancos in three years in charge of the club. Zidane won his first title just four months after he replaced Rafael Benitez as manager of Real Madrid. He led the side to defeat Atletico Madrid on penalties in the 2015-16 final. The next season, Real Madrid defeated Juventus 4-1 in the final for their 12th crown. Zidane led Real Madrid to a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the 2017-18 final. The Frenchman is the only manager in history to win the competition three consecutive times. He is also the first and only French manager to win the competition to date.

Bob Paisley | 3 European Cups

Bob Paisley was a Liverpool soccer player, manager, and administrator for almost 50 years. No football manager demonstrated the art of leading quietly and without ego more than Bob Paisley. He won twenty trophies in nine years for Liverpool Football Club between 1974 and 1983. He brought 3 European Cups, six League Championships (including three in a row in 1981, 1982, and 1983), three League Cups, 6 Charity Shields, one UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. Paisley is the only British manager to win the European Cup three times. Bob is now regarded as one of the best soccer managers of all time.

Carlo Ancelotti | 4 Champions League titles

Carlo Ancelotti is one of football's managerial greats of the 21st century. The Italian manager has won four Champions League titles in his time as a manager, having also won the competition twice as a player. Ancelotti won his first Champions League title in the 2002-03 season with AC Milan as his side defeated Juventus on penalties in the final. He won his second title in the 2006-07 season as AC Milan defeated Liverpool 2-1. Ancelotti won his third title with Real Madrid in the 2013-14 season after his side defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1. His fourth title came in the 2021-22 season with Real Madrid once again after a 1-0 victory over Liverpool. The Italian manager is also the only manager to win all of Europe's top five leagues.

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Football Facts: Managers with most UCL titles (Top Ten)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain quarter-final 2nd leg match in UEFA Champions League 2024-25 at the Villa Park, Birmingham, UK.

Paris Saint-Germain came back from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg at Parc des Princes, securing a two-goal lead in the tie. Tonight, one of them will go through to the semi-finals.

Read Also | Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights | PSG dominate over Villa to secure a two-goal cushion in the tie | FT PSG 3-1 AVL

PSG are halfway through to the semis, whereas Villa have a mountain to climb in this thrilling game. So, sit back and relax as Soumit Bhattacharya brings you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the Aston Villa vs PSG match from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

Welcome everyone to another fantastic day of UEFA Champions League football. This is Koushik Biswas, your host for tonight, who will bring you all the LIVE updates, buildup, stats and news of the Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final second leg match. 

FC Barcelona are leading by 4-0 after the first leg and they will be confident to qualify for the Champions League semi-final first time since 2019. 

But, with an unpredictable team like Borussia Dortmund at their own turf, in front of their yellow wall, anything can happen. 

So, stay tuned as I bring you all the LIVE updates of this exciting leg of Champions League football from the web desk. Enjoy the coverage. 

You can also follow us on our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels for all the updates of your favourite sport.

The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.

Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆

Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

The centenary edition is set to begin with matches in 🇺🇾,… pic.twitter.com/hxbslrotyM

— 433 (@433) April 11, 2025

Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."

AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion

In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.

Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.

🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆

(Source: @BBCSport) pic.twitter.com/LDTfggf3BA

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 11, 2025

Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.

Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:

We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.

With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:

At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”

I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.

Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:

If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"

But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.

Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:

It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well," 

I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."

Would you like a World Cup with 64 teams? 🤔

The 2022 tournament had 32, and 48 will compete in 2026 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sJyyEtaBIE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 3, 2025

Future World Cups and logistical issues

Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.

Read Also | FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.

FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.

Read Also | FIFA dismisses Morocco's claims about Western Sahara in the 2030 FIFA World Cup bid assessment report

The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.

This week sees the return of the quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, the top tournament for club football in Europe, where Real Madrid hold on to hope of continuing their pursuit of a place into the semi-finals of a competition they have won an astonishing 15 times.

However, a huge challenge is ahead for the Los Blancos, as they are presently behind 3-0 against Arsenal after the first-leg match played last Tuesday.

Florentino Perez speak to Real Madrid players in the locker room and promised them a bonus if they can do a comeback against Arsenal.

Perez to the players in the dressing room: "If you win and we qualify for the semi-finals, you will receive a reward from the club. (📰SPORT) pic.twitter.com/JFsHt2W35v

— sirkings media ⚽ (@sirkings97715) April 14, 2025

Guided by Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, the team has a sense of confidence about themselves; after all, this is not their first instance when it comes to reversing a tough deficit. In previous editions, they've discovered the resilience to overcome against all odds on uncountable occasions. 

But this time, the players are motivated by another powerful reason to stage an incredible comeback. 

Several Spanish media outlets and journalists covering Real Madrid have reported that president Florentino Pérez has promised his players a significant monetary reward to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

Real Madrid players via Instagram:

Bellingham: “See you on Wednesday!”
Vinicius Jr: “Already thinking about Wednesday”
Rodrygo: "See you on Wednesday, you will be the key.”

They're ready for Arsenal 👀 pic.twitter.com/bwW3CBxDA7

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 14, 2025

Real Madrid players are motivated ahead of the second leg

After Sunday's LaLiga game against Alaves at the Mendizorroza Stadium in Vitoria, which ended in a tight 1-0 win for Madrid, the president went down to the dressing room to congratulate the players on their achievement. 

According to reports, he then told the players that they stand to receive a huge bonus if they succeed in countering the challenge against Arsenal.

"If you win and we make it to the semi-finals, you will receive a reward from the club..." said the president of Real Madrid.

This is not the first time Florentino Perez has awarded the team an economic prize for overcoming key moments in both the domestic and continental competitions. 

Sources report that the team's most recent bonus was in March when they knocked out Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, as every player received a €250k bonus each.

The 'kings of European football' for now remain engaged in preparations for the crucial game on Wednesday, which will kick off at 9:00 PM local time (17 April, 12:30 PM IST) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

The first-leg matchdays of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final ties have definitely lived up to expectations, offering us some of the most iconic matches and memorable moments to cherish.

Arsenal have stunned Real Madrid at home through Declan Rice's spectacular free-kicks, whereas Barcelona have dismantled Dortmund to practically edge closer to the semi-finals.

Inter Milan and PSG have also earned the desired lead over Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, respectively, before heading on to the return leg next week.

Best first-leg performance? ✨#UCL pic.twitter.com/kebofmm9aD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 10, 2025

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final First Leg Round Up

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid

Arsenal have stunned Real Madrid, the reigning champions in the first leg, by crushing them 3-0 at the Emirates to secure a huge lead in the tie.

Declan Rice's free-kicks have taken all the spotlights and convincingly so, as the Gunners remain unbeaten against Los Blancos on a Champions League night.

Right in the top corner from Rice 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/ir38EOf6X2

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 9, 2025

After a goal-less first half, Rice rocketed both of his free-kicks into the net in the 58th and 70th minute, and Mikel Merino found a third one in the 75th minute. The North London Club scored three in just 17 minutes!

Arsenal will travel to Real Madrid for the return leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 17th.

Read Also | Arsenal vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights: Declan Rice's stunning brace and Merino's goal hand Arsenal a 3-0 lead in the first-leg

Bayern Munch 1-2 Inter Milan

An electric game ended in Inter Milan's favour as the Italian club scored a late winner to earn a 2-1 away victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Cesare Augusto and Marcus Thuram combined to set up a beautiful trivela goal from Lautaro Martinez, the Nerrazzuri skipper, in the 38th minute. Inter led at the break, but after a couple of wasted opportunities from both sides, Thomas Muller pulled off the equalizer for Bayern in the 85th minute, only ten minutes after coming off the bench.

Grinta, corsa...𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒊 🖤💙#ForzaInter #UCL #BayernMonacoInter pic.twitter.com/F21ElElyzX

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) April 9, 2025

However, Inter did not get startled and snatched a late winner in the 88th minute through Davide Frattesi's flashy strike in the 88th minute following another brilliant Augusto set up.

Inter Milan will welcome Bayern Munich at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on 17 April.

Read Also | Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights | Frattesi's late goal sinks Bayern at home; Inter lead in the tie | FT BAY 1-2 INT

FC Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Dortmund

FC Barcelona rampaged over Borussia Dortmund at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, crushing them 4-0 to practically book their berth in the semis.

Raphinha scored a cheeky goal in the 25th minute of the game as the Catalan side led 1-0 at the break. However, the floodgates opened in the second half, with Lewandowski scoring a goal in the 48th minute and completing his brace in the 66th minute. Lamine Yamal netted the fourth one for Barca in the 77th minute, securing a massive lead in the tie.

That wasn't football.
That was poetry. pic.twitter.com/KFbKUJjKia

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 9, 2025

The Black-Yellow army will host Barcelona for the return leg on 16th April at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.

Read Also | FC Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund UCL 2024-25 Quarter-final 1st leg Highlights

Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to put three past Aston Villa, securing a 3-1 lead in the first leg at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

PSG showed a proper dominance over Villa throughout the match, despite Morgan Rogers drawing the first blood in the 35th minute. Desire Doue, the 19-year-old PSG wonderkid, netted the equalizer only four minutes later with a sublime long-ranger strike.

A first leg full of emotions! 😍

📸 Shot by Elo

pic.twitter.com/ka5eQa0OdO

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 10, 2025

The game remained all square at the break, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia handed PSG the lead in the only four minutes into the second half. Nuno Mendes secured a two-goal lead in the tie with a marvellous finish in the dying moments of the game.

Read Also | Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights | PSG dominate over Villa to secure a two-goal cushion in the tie | FT PSG 3-1 AVL