UEFA Champions League Records: Most matches as manager

Only nine coaches have overseen 100 or more UEFA Champions League matches over the years, with just the one surpassing 200.

Considering their pedigree in the game, you might think Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho head the list, but both rank some way below the leader.

Below, we look at the managers with the most UEFA Champions League matches.

Jurgen Klopp - 100

One of only five managers to have reached four or more UEFA Champions League finals, Jurgen Klopp has amassed 100 UEFA Champions League games in a relatively short space of time.

Klopp's Borussia Dortmund reached the UEFA Champions League final in just the German's second season in charge. Two campaigns later and Klopp would head to Liverpool.

While the Reds would mostly fall short of Manchester City domestically throughout Klopp's reign, Liverpool became a European force once more.

By the time Klopp had brought Liverpool back to Europe's elite - where they'd spent just one of the previous seven seasons - they were reaching finals. They'd lose the first to Real Madrid but would go one better the following term, beating Tottenham.

In six straight seasons under Klopp, Liverpool reached the last-16 twice, the quarter-finals once and the final three times.

Massimiliano Allegri - 100

Massimiliano Allegri is one of several managers to have guided Juventus to a UEFA Champions League final only to walk off with a runner-up medal. Like Marcello Lippi, Allegri did it twice.

Nevertheless, over his first spell with the Old Lady, Allegri reached two quarter-finals, a last 16 and two finals before returning in 2021, and while his second spell wasn't as successful, he again reached the UEFA Champions League twice, denied in his third season following a points deduction.

Prior to his spell with Juventus, Allegri spent four years with Milan, also featuring regularly in the UEFA Champions League.

Diego Simeone - 103

While Atletico Madrid have had spells of success throughout their history, it wasn't until the arrival of Diego Simeone that the club become a part of the furniture at the top of La Liga.

Having finished ninth and seventh prior to Simeone's arrival, Atleti have never been outside the top three in 12 full seasons under the Argentine, reaching the knockout stages in all bar two of their campaigns, as well as reaching two finals, a semi-final and four quarter-finals.

Mircea Lucescu - 115

Perhaps the least known of the nine managers with 100 UEFA Champions League games to their name, Mircea Lucescu is best known as the manager of Shakhtar Donetsk for more than a decade.

While the Ukrainian outfit were rarely seen beyond the UEFA Champions League group stages, their domestic dominance under the Romanian ensured they racked up plenty of European appearances.

Lucescu also appeared on the touchline of UEFA Champions League games for Inter, Besiktas, Galatasaray and most recently Dynamo Kyiv.

Jose Mourinho - 145

Perhaps surprising considering he made his name by winning the UEFA Champions League with Porto, is a two-time winner and has managed some of Europe's biggest clubs, but Jose Mourinho is only fifth on the list.

Of course, the Portuguese only made one final in his time with Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid, before stepping down to Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma, missing out on several years at Europe's top table.

Pep Guardiola - 169

Again, perhaps a surprising entry outside the top three, but Pep Guardiola doesn't yet have the longevity of the three names above him on the list, who spent two decades in the UEFA Champions League.

Guardiola's first European foray came in 2009, and while he's only managed Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, his record still leaves a little to be desired, though if he stays in Europe long enough, it's hard to see him not topping this list one day.

Arsene Wenger - 178

Although the latter years of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal reign were marred by all-too-familiar knockouts in the last 16 (the Gunners were knocked out at that stage in each of Wenger's final seven years at the Emirates), the Frenchman did spend 19 consecutive season's eating at Europe's top table.

While there were too many early exits in North London, Arsenal did reach a final under Wenger, as well as four quarter-finals and a semi-final.

Sir Alex Ferguson - 190

One of the longest-serving managers of the modern age, Sir Alex Ferguson spent the best part of 20 years reaching the latter stages of Europe's elite club competition.

Five quarter-finals, three semi-finals and four finals with Manchester United, Ferguson finished with a tally of 190 UEFA Champions League matches.

Carlo Ancelotti - 204

So successful have his spells been with Real Madrid and Milan, it's easy to forget where else Carlo Ancelotti has managed.

Don Carlo was actually Juventus's manager back in 1999 when they lost the semi-final to Manchester United before moving to the San Siro where he reached three finals. From there, Ancelotti had spells with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid before a brief foray in Germany with Bayern Munich, where he's quietly racked up the appearances.

Since returning to the Spanish capital, Ancelotti has taken Madrid to the final twice and semi-final once.