Managing the Real Madrid team is one of the hardest tasks in world football. A few managers were able to make an impression large enough to suit the grandeur that Real Madrid is. The race to being one of the most successful managers at Real Madrid is rough.
The Royal Whites are infamous for dismissing head coaches at a whim. Fabio Capello may be a chief example. The legendary manager will prove how winning titles wasn’t enough. The Italian had managed Madrid twice in the 1996/97 and 2007/08 season. He won the La Liga trophy both times, but he was dismissed at the top of the season on both instances.
Nevertheless, if a manager succeeds and does so with passion and finesse, they’re forever engraved within the history books. Here are the highest five most successful managers at Real Madrid.
Five most successful managers at Real Madrid:
Miguel Munoz
Real Madrid being so sceptical about their manager, it takes an exceptional person to last 14 years and 16 seasons! Miguel Munoz is that exceptional person.
During his time as a player, he won 4 La Liga titles, 3 European Cups and a couple of Copa Latina trophies. Munoz had temporarily taken responsibility for a 2-month period in 1959, before being allotted full-time on 13th April 1960. Within 30 days, Munoz was responsible for one of the best matches to be ever played, as Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 within the 1960 European final.
Munoz supervised 604 games, winning 357 of these at a win rate of 59.10%. 1225 goals were scored by the team under Munoz, with the Spaniard concluding his career with an astounding 9 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 Intercontinental Cup and a couple of European Cups.
Vicente del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque is one of the most highlighted Spanish managers of all time. The soft-natured man from Salamanca was the principal reason behind Real Madrid winning the UEFA Champions League twice and picked up the Spanish Cup and the Intercontinental Cup during his four-year stay in the capital of Spain.
He was also liable for bringing an end to their five-year await league glory in 2001. However, he was brusquely sacked just one day after he guided Real Madrid to a La Liga title in 2003, as President Florentino Perez also claimed European success.
The decision ended up proving to be a gaffe as Madrid did not win any major trophies within the following four years. Meanwhile, Bosque got the chance of managing Spain and elaborated his impressive catalogue of trophies with the World Cup and the European Championship to his already highly impressive catalogue of trophies.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has accomplished more in his career in management at the very best level than majority managers would bring about in their entire careers.
When Rafa Benitez was removed halfway through the 2015-16 season, Zinedine Zidane was asked to take control of the situation and help the club to rise up to its standards after the squad had endured a chaotic time under their former boss.
Within a few months, he helped Real Madrid secure their 11th Champions League trophy and kick-started an excellent period of unparalleled success under the Frenchman. He went on to become the sole manager to win three European Cups back to back and further added a La Liga championship, one single Spanish Super Copa, two Club World Cups, and another UEFA Super Cup to his trophy haul.
Jose Villalonga
At the ripe age of 36 years and 184 days, Villalonga was the youngest manager to ever bag the European Cup, a record that also stands to the present day. Villalonga took charge within the middle of the 1954/55 season (10th December 1954) and went on to rejuvenate a true Madrid squad that finished the season as La Liga champions. They also won the Copa Latino.Di Stefano, Gento, Raymond Kopa, Hector Rial and Miguel Munoz.
In his final season at Real Madrid, Villalonga left within the best manner possible, winning a treble as Real Madrid won La Liga, Copa Latino and the European cup in 1956/57, although early within the season, Bernabeu undermined Villalonga in the changing room, asking Di Stefano to ignore the manager’s instructions to remain upfront. Desolately for Villalonga, it worked. Resultantly, he left the club with an astounding win percentage of 62.86% in 2 and a half seasons.
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti managed Real Madrid for just two seasons but one cannot underrate the effect the renowned Italian manager had on the club. When Carletto took over Madrid on 25th June 2013, the Whites were wrecked – Jose Mourinho left the Italian a room filled with arguments and a playing formation that was proving to be runner-up to Barcelona and a contrast to the club’s identity. The Italian’s jovial nature was an ideal antidote. He was given the gift of a record signing in a very short interval since he arrived – Gareth Bale for 100 million euros. Ancelotti reconstructed Madrid to be proficient in attack and defence, lifting the Copa del Rey because of Bale’s brilliance.
Real Madrid was hooked into La Decima ever since winning their 9th European Cup in 2002; Ancelotti brought the much-awaited dream to an end, defeating Atletico Madrid 4-1 in overtime to win his third UEFA Champions League trophy as a manager.
The Italian finished with a record 22 match streak and a win percentage of 74.79% – the very best any Real Madrid manager ever gave.
