UEFA Champions League: Ranking the Eight Quarterfinalist Managers
With eight sides remaining in the 2011 UEFA Champions League, it is clear that every side is strong and well prepared. Four of the eight sides have coaches that have already won the Champions League, with three of them having won it more than once. Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti (pictured) are among the trio to have won more than once. They are joined by Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United as a two-time winner and Barcelona's Josep Guardiola, a one-time winner of the event as a manager.
The remaining coaches in the Champions League are Leonardo of defending champion Inter Milan, Harry Redknapp of Tottenham, Mirceau Lucescu of Shakhtar Donetsk and Schalke's Ralf Rangnick.
The following is a ranking of the remaining managers.
No. 8 Leonardo Araujo, Inter Milan
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The only reason why Leonardo appears last on this list is because he has the least amount of managerial experience of the remaining Champions League managers.
Last season, Leonardo took an AC Milan team that began the season looking like it was destined for disaster and actually got the club to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which is a goal of the club every season.
It is still early in Leonardo's managerial career to judge his level of success. He has done well since taking over Inter in January, as the players appear to enjoy playing for him.
No. 7 Harry Redknapp, Tottenham
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Redknapp has had an up-and-down career as a manager of a number of sides in England. He enjoyed success in developing young players while with West Ham United. He had mixed results with Southampton and Portsmouth. Redknapp has done a fine job with Tottenham in its first season in Champions League. The side did well in the group stages and recently held on to knock off an AC Milan squad that was decimated by injuries.
If Redknapp is to defeat Real Madrid, he could perhaps move up on this list.
No. 6 Ralf Rangnick, Schalke
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This German coach has done marvelous things in his career, even if he is not well-known outside of Germany.
Rangnick helped Hoffenheim, a village of 3,300, to promotions in consecutive seasons following the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Hoffenheim went from amateur status to the top division in Germany. And the success did not stop there, as Hoffenheim won the Herbstmeister (or Fall Title) after earning 35 points through 17 league matches.
Rangnick resigned from Hoffenheim in January and was hired this past week to take over Schalke from Felix Magath. It is Rangnick's second stint with the club.
No. 5 Miceau Lucescu, Shahktar Donestk
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Lucescu is no stranger to success in football, having had success with a number of clubs in different leagues in Europe. He spent the better part of the 1990s in Italy, when Serie A was clearly the top league in the world.
Last season, he helped Shahktar Donestk win the Europa League title. This season, he has shown that last season's success was no fluke.
Lucescu has been the head coach of his native Romania's national team, a job his son now occupies. Lucescu has also managed European powers Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Besiktas.
No. 4 Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
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It is hard to believe that Sir Alex Ferguson would appear this low on the list. But the reality is that both Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have dominated him over the years and Josep Guardiola defeated him in the 2009 Champions League final.
Mourinho has a 6-2-6 record against Ferguson. Ancelotti's AC Milan sides knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2005 and 2007. Also, Manchester United has not won at Stamford Bridge since 2002, so the odds are not in Ferguson's favor.
Ferguson has won the Champions League twice, but he has also coached for a lot longer than Mourinho and Ancelotti.
No. 3 Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea
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Ancelotti is one of the top managers in the world. He twice won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan and almost won three times had it not been for a disaster in the 2005 final against Liverpool.
Ancelotti-coached teams have shown tendencies to sometimes go through slumps as Chelsea went through one this season. But when Ancelotti teams are at their best, they usually are the toughest to beat.
His head-to-head success against Ferguson put him ahead of the Manchester United manager for this list.
No. 2 Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid
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The 'Special One' has enjoyed success with a number of clubs, including Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan before joining Real Madrid this season.
While some might put him in the first spot, Barcelona's 5-0 win over Mourinho's side earlier this season make it difficult to put the Portugese manager on top.
Mourinho has also enjoyed head-to-head success against both Ferguson and Ancelotti.
No. 1 Josep Guardiola, Barcelona
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Guardiola is in just his third season of coaching, which does make it difficult to make him the top dog.
He also has arguably the most talented group in the world. Guardiola has done a fine job of making 'almost' everyone happy and yet keeping his team as the team to beat.
Mourinho's Inter side did knock off Barcelona last season in the Champions League semifinal. But Barcelona has clearly been Spain's best team since Guardiola took over.
This season, he stands a good chance at making it two Champions League titles in his first three years.
