Carlo Ancelotti has become the most experienced manager in Champions League history after eclipsing the record of legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Real Madrid head coach tied the Scot’s 190-game benchmark in last week’s semi-final, first-leg clash against Manchester City – which was drawn 1-1 – and now he has claimed it outright.
As the whistle sounded at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening for the players to kick off the second leg, it also marked the 191st time Ancelotti has been in the dugout for a Champions League encounter.
It is the 50th time he has done so as manager of Real Madrid, meaning Sir Alex’s record of coaching the most Champions League games with one side remains intact, with all 190 of his games coming while United manager.
The Italian also took charge of 73 matches while at AC Milan, with the rest of his games coming in stints at six other clubs: Chelsea (18), Bayern Munich (12), Napoli (12), Juventus (10), Paris Saint-Germain (10) and Parma (6).
Ancelotti had already overtaken Sir Alex as the manager with the most wins in the competition, with 107 compared to the ex-United manager’s 102 – though Pep Guardiola isn’t far behind on 99.
Sir Alex is unlikely to have any hard feelings about losing his record to Ancelotti and has always spoken glowingly about his old sparring partner in in the past.
Which coaches have managed the most Champions League games?
- Carlo Ancelotti – 191 games / 107* victories
- Sir Alex Ferguson – 190 games / 102 victories
- Arsene Wenger – 178 games / 82 victories
- Pep Guardiola – 159 games / 99* victories
- Jose Mourinho – 145 games / 77 victories
*Could change depending on tonight’s result
Back in 2015, shortly after the 63-year-old’s first spell at the Bernabeu ended, Sir Alex said: ‘Carlo Ancelotti is one of my good friends and also one of the best managers the game has seen.
‘He is a great guy and I think he’ll be back in the game shortly, there is no doubt about that. People with that ability don’t stay out of it for too long.
‘Carlo has an unbelievable record in the European Cup both as a player and manager – winning it twice in both roles with AC Milan, as well as winning it again as a manager at Real Madrid. I don’t think anyone else has done that so he’s on a pedestal on his own in that respect.’
Since then, Ancelotti has returned to Real Madrid after spells at Bayern, Napoli and Everton and won the Champions League last season – the fourth time he has lifted the famous trophy, which is yet another record he lays claim to in the competition.
Ancelotti is also one of just four men to have won the Champions League as both a player and a manager, alongside Guardiola, Frank Rijkaard and Zinedine Zidane.
Tonight’s semi-final, second-leg showdown is finely poised, meanwhile, with Vinicius Junior’s stunning opening goal at the Bernabeu last week cancelled out by an equally spectacular strike from Kevin De Bruyne.
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