5 greatest Real Madrid managers of the 21st century
Spanish giants Real Madrid recently beat Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Supercopa de Espana (Spanish Super Cup). The title was the club's 31st major honour of the 21st century.
Los Blancos have maintained their status as one of the world's elite football clubs, thanks to an astonishingly dominant run in the 2010s. Their superlative performances in the Champions League helped ease the pain of the 2000s, which was a difficult period for the storied organisation.
Real Madrid win Spanish Super Cup and a first trophy in 18 months, which, for Madrid, is a long time. thenationalnews.com/sport/football…
Real Madrid are in the hunt for multiple trophies this year
It would not be a surprise to see Los Blancos add to their tally of trophies later this year. The Spanish giants are currently top of the La Liga table, four points clear of second-placed Sevilla. Carlo Ancelotti's men are also scheduled to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Round of 16 next month.
The Italian tactician is enjoying a wonderful return to the Santiago Bernabeu, and is among the greatest coaches to have managed the club. However, as Don Carlo basks in the glory of Real Madrid's most recent major trophy (Spanish Super Cup), we take a look at the club's five greatest managers of the 21st century:
#5 Bernd Schuster
The period between 2003 and 2010 was one of turmoil for Los Blancos. While Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi were guiding arch-rivals Barcelona to trophies, Real Madrid employed nine different managers over a seven-year period.
Only three of those nine coaches lasted 50 games or longer in the Spanish capital. The likes of Juande Ramos, Carlos Quieroz, Fabio Capello and Manuel Pellegrini all endured difficult times at the club.
- Real Madrid win both La Liga matches versus Barcelona in a single season for the first time since 2007/08 under Bernd Schuster (1-0 away, 4-1 home). #elclasico⚪ - Real Madrid win both La Liga matches versus Barcelona in a single season for the first time since 2007/08 under Bernd Schuster (1-0 away, 4-1 home). #elclasico
One manager who stood out in obscurity was German coach Bernd Schuster. He spent 17 months at the Santiago Bernabeu between July 2007 and December 2008, winning a La Liga title and a Spanish Super Cup. He managed the club in 75 games, winning 44 of them, to finish with a win percentage of 58.6.
It was not an excellent spell by any means, considering Los Blancos' lofty standards. However, it remains a bright spot in a testing time for the Spanish giants.
#4 Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2010 with a glowing reputation. Fresh off a stunning continental treble with Inter Milan, the Special One was widely acknowledged as the best coach in the world at the time.
Jose Mourinho: "Real Madrid season 2011-12? In the best possible way we ended the Barca dominance - we did lots of explosive, quick and direct transitions towards goal, with almost unstoppable connections." [@Marca] https://t.co/0nkzdnRnih
However, Mourinho's three-year stint at Real Madrid was a mixed bag. He won three titles, including a La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. However, failure to win the Champions League and several El Clasico defeats against Pep Guardiola's Barcelona saw the mood at the club turn sour.
The club won 128 of their 178 games under Mourinho, giving him a terrific win percentage of 71. Despite a tumultuous relationship with club supremo Florentino Perez, the Portuguese tactician built an excellent team. However, Guardiola's Barcelona, arguably the greatest club team in history, were simply too good. Nonetheless, the current AS Roma boss is credited with building the foundation for Real Madrid's success in the 2010s.
Mourinho and Real Madrid famously got the better of Guardiola's Blaugrana in the historic 2011-12 La Liga season. Los Blancos won the title after breaching the 100-point barrier and scoring 121 goals, which remains the highest league goal tally in the club's history.