The UEFA Champions League is already at home stretch, with the semifinals in full swing. After eight months of high-octane, exhilarating football, the wheat has been separated from the chaff, and one of Bayern Munich, PSG, Real Madrid, or Borussia Dortmund will usurp Manchester City at the throne.
While the players have been doing their job on the pitch with their dribbles, tackles, and goals, a select few have been pulling the strings—the coaches. Some coaches have been quite impressive this season with their adept tactics, game management, and intelligence.
In the rest of this article, we will analyze the top coaches of the Champions League and identify the primary contender for the manager of the season.
Top 3 Champions League Manager
Carlo Ancelotti
Italian tactician Don Carlo is fast building a reputation for being the best to grace the Champions League. Ancelloti has won the title four times- twice with AC Milan and twice with Real Madrid- and he is looking on course for another title.
The former Everton boss has been successful with his deadly counter-attacking football model, which has downed top opponents.
Since the group stage, Los Blancos have been indomitable. With Ancelotti in charge, they claimed 18 points in the group stage. The La Liga leaders defeated Napoli, Braga, and Union Berlin.
Then, in the round of 16, Real Madrid did just enough to get past RB Leipzig despite the absence of Jude Bellingham in the first leg, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, and David Alaba.
Then, in the quarterfinals, Los Blancos defeated Manchester City after a strong performance. The Citizens dominated both fixtures, bossing the possession and creating more opportunities. However, Real Madrid just held on and claimed the victory on penalties.
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Madrid received a lot of Criticism after the win over Manchester City because of their play. But it was just pure Ancelotti style, the way Real Madrid has always played the big games under his watch. The Italian was not a bit bothered, though, as he was only concerned with the result.
“[Criticism] doesn’t surprise me. Everyone can have their opinion,” Ancelotti told ESPN after the game against City.
“You have to do well with and without the ball. There are some games where you have the ball less than usual. We did very well for 90 minutes. I haven’t found a single sad fan of ours yet. They may turn up in the next few days.
Los Blancos have been pitched against Bayern Munich in the semifinal, and Ancelotti will be looking to claim the victory and qualify for the final once again. Real Madrid tickets are available for purchase after the first leg of the encounter ended in a thrilling 2-2 scoreline.
Luis Enrique
It has been a brutal campaign for Les Parisiens, especially after losing Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Marco Verratti. Talks of Kylian Mbappe’s future have yet to also help, as the prospect of his departure has dominated most of the negotiations surrounding the club, causing Enrique to use him sparingly.
Nonetheless, Enrique has had an impressive campaign with PSG this season. The Spanish tactician just took over at Paris in the summer, and he has claimed his first Ligue 1 title. Also, he has led the club to only the third Champions League semifinal in their history. It is also their first semifinal since the 2020 season.
Les Parisiens had a tough start to the campaign and had to wait till the final matchday before they could seal their place in the knockout phase. However, they picked up afterward, defeating Real Sociedad in both legs of the round of 16.
Then, in the quarterfinals, they staged a second-leg comeback, defeating Barcelona 4-1 in their adopted home after losing 3-2 at Parc des Princes. Enrique’s tactics against Barcelona in the second leg were quite impressive, as he made three changes to his starting lineup after the first leg.
His changes proved to be the difference as Barcola got Ronald Araujo sent off, Warren Zaire-Emery had an excellent midfield performance, and Lucas Hernandez was decent in defense.
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PSG faces their group-stage opponents, Borussia Dortmund, in the semis, and they will be looking to claim the win and progress to the final. Enrique is bullish and wants to go all out ahead of the game.
“It is essential when a coach can transmit their strength to their players, never giving up. Without a doubt, we will be prepared for Dortmund to win both matches,” Enrique told the media.
Edin Terzic
By Borussia Dortmund’s standards, it has been a mixed season. With three games left, the Black and Yellows sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, five points away from the Champions League qualification spots.
However, it has been a different proposition on the continent, especially as much wasn’t expected from them. Borussia Dortmund has been in the semis of the UCL for only the fourth time in its history.
They did well in the group stage, finishing on top of AC Milan, PSG, and Newcastle United, a signal of good coaching.
Then, in the round of 16, they defeated PSV Eindhoven 3-1. Although a Dutch side, PSV has been head and shoulders above the other clubs in the Eredivisie for the last two years. They also finished second in a group that included Arsenal, Lens, and Sevilla. So, underestimating the magnitude of the win would not be apt.
After their win over PSV, Borussia Dortmund put up another solid performance to defeat the Spanish giant Atletico Madrid. It was an impressive performance from the Black and Yellows, as they overturned a 2-1 deficit to defeat Atleti 4-2 in the second leg.
Ahead of the game against PSG, Terzic is quite optimistic that they will progress to the final, and he has revealed his game plan.
“We want to use our home advantage to take a small lead to go to Paris with. That’s the mission. We know that we have to play at the highest level for at least 180 minutes,” Terzic said at his pre-match press conference.
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“I think the situation is pretty clear if you want to have a favorite and an underdog in the semifinals. They’ve wanted to win the Champions League for ten years.
“We have to do everything to win. We believe in our chances. We may be the team with the least experience, but we’re the team with the most hunger. We have to work hard every day to get to Wembley.”
If Borussia Dortmund reached the finals of the UCL, it would be an excellent campaign for them. Terzic would also be a top contender for the position of manager of the season.
