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Over the last two decades, football has seen some of the most tactical and innovative managers spring up and introduce new things to the game. There are those who prefer to play possessive football, whilst others choose to play it safe by being pragmatic.
Ultimately, winning is what keeps a manager in his job, and once he fails to do that, he may end up being sacked.
For some coaches, it isn’t just about winning a trophy or two, it’s just about winning every trophy that comes before them. In recent years, very few managers have managed this feat, but there are still some who overcame the odds to win the treble with their respective clubs.
Below are five modern managers who managed to win the treble.
#5 Alex Ferguson
The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson is one of very few managers who have managed to win the treble. The Scotsman totally transformed Manchester United from also-rans to perennial title contenders when he took over in the late 1980s.
At the end of his career, he had led The Red Devils to many major titles, including two Champions League trophies, a record 13 Premier League titles, among others. However, his most memorable achievement at the club was winning the treble in 1999.
Man United started that season on a poor note, but ended the campaign in unexpected fashion. Ferguson’s charges wrapped up the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, becoming the first – and so far only – English club to do so.
That feat is made even more memorable by the fact that The Red Devils had to come from behind in both the FA Cup semi-final and Champions League final to win those titles. Man United beat Arsenal 1-2 in the former, and defeated Bayern Munich by the same score line in the latter.
#4 Jose Mourinho
From one Manchester United manager to the other, Jose Mourinho is another modern manager who has managed to win the treble. The Portuguese is currently struggling at Old Trafford, but the story was different some years back.
Mourinho has actually won the treble twice in his career as a manager. The 55-year-old first led Porto to a treble in the 2002-03 season, as the club won the Primeira Liga, the Taça de Portugal, and the UEFA Cup. However, that is normally not considered as a proper treble, considering the fact that the UEFA Cup plays second fiddle to the Champions League.
Years later, Mourinho went on to join the league of treble-winning managers when he moved to Inter Milan. The Portuguese tactician led the Italian giants to the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League title in his second season.
Mourinho’s Inter Milan team was simply special, and had its strength built on a collective defensive unit. It is therefore no surprise that the club has failed to reach such heights since Mourinho left.
#3 Luis Enrique
Perhaps the least fancied manager in this illustrious list, Luis Enrique can still not be ignored when it comes to gaffers who have won the treble. The former Spain international joined Barcelona in the summer of 2014 amidst very little fanfare.
However, in his three years in charge, his record was one of the best the club has ever seen from a manager. In Enrique’s first season, he impressively led Barcelona to the treble. He reinvented the tiki-taka as well, combing fast attacking play with effective building from the back.
By the time he managed 50 games, he already had 42 wins – the best record of any Barcelona manager. He went on to win LaLiga, and later completed the domestic double after Barca defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the final of the Copa del Rey.
That season climaxed with the biggest achievement of all, with his Barcelona side winning the Champions League, following a 3-1 win over Juventus in the final. Barca fans may not have liked him, but Enrique definitely delivered in his time at the Camp Nou, and his treble winning season stands out.
#2 Pep Guardiola
Described by many as the best manager in modern day football, Pep Guardiola won the treble in style during his time at Barcelona. The Catalan coach made the world fall in love with Barca due to the scintillating football the club played.
Under Guardiola, the tiki-taka was back at the Camp Nou in force, as the Blaugrana won LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League in impressive fashion. Having previously played at Barcelona, Guardiola knew the club’s style, and reinvented Johan Cryuff’s famed possessive football.
Guardiola’s Barca completely swept aside any team that came their way, leading to many tagging the side as the best in history. In fact, the club went on to win the sextuple, adding the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup to their trophy haul that year.
Guardiola has since been unable to build another team as good as the treble winning Barca side from 2009, but he definitely made his mark.
#1 Jupp Heynckes
Retired German manager Jupp Heynckes also left an indelible mark on football, after leading Bayern Munich to dominate European football in the 2012-13 season. The 73-year-old oversaw Bayern’s most successful season in the club’s history that year.
He led the club to win the Bundesliga in record fashion, after wrapping up the title by late February. Heynckes’ Bayern also swept aside all their rivals to emerge winners of the DFB Pokal.
In the Champions League, the Bavarians beat Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate – a game which went down as one of the worst defeats in the history of the Catalan club.
Heynckes and his Bayern side went on to complete the treble after defeating rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the final. The legendary German manager may be retired currently, but his legacy will go on, because it will take ages before any other manager achieves such a feat.
