Pep Guardiola in Champions League: Records and statistics
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
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Where does Manchester City's Pep Guardiola rank among coaches in the UEFA Champions League for matches, wins, titles and unbeaten runs? Pretty highly...
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Pep Guardiola has enjoyed a charmed life in the UEFA Champions League since lifting the trophy at the first attempt with Barcelona in 2008/09 – his debut campaign as first-team coach.
He has since racked up two further titles with Barcelona and Manchester City, another nine semi-final appearances (a record) and pride of place among the upper echelons of several all-time leaderboards.
On Matchday 4, the Spaniard surpassed his own best when the holders made it 17 matches unbeaten in the competition by easing to victory over Young Boys. He could break the all-time record in June at Wembley, scene already of two of his Champions League wins as player and coach.
"It has given me more than I could have ever imagined," Guardiola said of the competition back in May. It is fair to say he has given plenty back too.
Guardiola's record as Champions League coach
TEAM | PLAYED | WON | DRAWN | LOST | GOALS FOR | GOALS AGAINST |
Man City | 78 | 52 | 14 | 12 | 186 | 76 |
Bayern | 36 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 87 | 37 |
Barcelona | 49 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 116 | 41 |
TOTAL | 163 | 105 | 33 | 25 | 389 | 154 |
Longest unbeaten Champions League runs as coach
Guardiola surpassed his own high-water mark when his Manchester City side stretched their unbeaten Champions League sequence to 17 matches on Matchday 4 (W12, D5), eclipsing his run of 16 without defeat in charge of Barcelona between 2011 and 2012. If the holders maintain their run then he would knock Sir Alex Ferguson off top spot at Wembley on 1 June. The man to orchestrate the end of Sir Alex's own roll in 2009? Guardiola.
25 Sir Alex Ferguson (Man Utd, 19/09/2007 – 05/05/2009)
19 Ottmar Hitzfeld (Bayern, 14/03/2001 – 02/04/2002)
19 Louis van Gaal (Ajax, 14/09/1994 – 20/03/1996)
17 Pep Guardiola (Man City, 06/09/2022 –)
16 Hansi Flick (Bayern, 06/11/2019 – 17/03/2021)
16 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona, 08/03/2011 – 03/04/2012)
16 Sir Alex Ferguson (Man Utd, 04/03/1998 – 29/09/1999)
16 Sir Alex Ferguson (Man Utd, 23/10/2001 – 23/10/2002)
Most Champions League/European Cup titles as coach
Guardiola became the fourth coach to win the European Cup three times following Manchester City's 2023 triumph over Inter in Istanbul and needs one more to equal Carlo Ancelotti's record of four. He is also the sixth coach to win the title with multiple teams and one of only six to lift the trophy as player and coach alongside the likes of Frank Rijkaard, Zinédine Zidane and Ancelotti.
4 Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 2003, 2007; Real Madrid 2014, 2022)
3 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, 2011; Man City 2023)
3 Bob Paisley (Liverpool 1977, 1978, 1981)
3 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)
Most Champions League/European Cup titles with multiple teams
2 Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 2003, 2007; Real Madrid 2014, 2022)
2 Ernst Happel (Feyenoord 1970, Hamburg 1983)
2 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, 2011; Man City 2023)
2 Jupp Heynckes (Real Madrid 1998, Bayern 2013)
2 Ottmar Hitzfeld (Dortmund 1997, Bayern 2001)
2 José Mourinho (Porto 2004, Inter 2010)
Most Champions League/European Cup titles as player and coach
6 Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 1989, 1990 | AC Milan 2003, 2007, Real Madrid 2014, 2022)
5 Miguel Muñoz (Real Madrid 1956, 1957, 1958 | Real Madrid 1960, 1966)
4 Johan Cruyff (Ajax 1971, 1972, 1973 | Barcelona 1992)
4 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 1992 | Barcelona 2009, 2011; Man City 2023)
4 Frank Rijkaard (Ajax 1995, AC Milan 1989, 1990 | Barcelona 2006)
4 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid 2002 | Real Madrid 2016, 2017, 2018)
3 Giovanni Trapattoni (AC Milan 1963, 1969 | Juventus 1985)
Which coaches have won the most Champions League games?
Ancelotti tops the list for coaches with the most Champions League wins under their belts, but Guardiola is breathing down the Italian's neck after overhauling Manchester United icon Sir Alex this season.
COACH | PLAYED | WON | DRAWN | LOST |
Carlo Ancelotti | 194 | 110 | 43 | 41 |
Pep Guardiola | 163 | 105 | 33 | 25 |
Sir Alex Ferguson | 190 | 102 | 49 | 39 |
Which coaches have taken charge of the most Champions League games?
Guardiola is one of only eight coaches to have taken charge of 100 or more games in Europe's top club competition since it took on its current form in 1992/93, with Ancelotti the only active manager still above him.
COACH | PLAYED | WON | DRAWN | LOST |
Carlo Ancelotti | 194 | 110 | 43 | 41 |
Sir Alex Ferguson | 190 | 102 | 49 | 39 |
Arsène Wenger | 178 | 82 | 41 | 55 |
Pep Guardiola | 163 | 105 | 33 | 25 |
*Group stage to final since the start of the UEFA Champions League in 1992/93
UEFA Super Cup
In August 2023, Guardiola became the first coach to win the UEFA Super Cup with three different clubs following Manchester City's 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory over Sevilla (1-1 in normal time). He also drew level with Ancelotti to hold the joint record for most wins in the competition as a coach with four. He has five victories as a player and a coach combined; again the joint most overall with Ancelotti.
Most Super Cup wins as coach
4 Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan 2003, 2007, Real Madrid 2014, 2022)
4 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, 2011, Bayern 2013, Man City 2023)
Super Cup wins with multiple teams
3 Pep Guardiola (Barcelona 2009, 2011, Bayern 2013, Man City 2023)
Most Super Cup wins as player and coach combined
5 Carlo Ancelotti (1990 | 2003, 2007, 2014, 2022)
5 Pep Guardiola (1992 | 2009, 2011, 2013, 2023)