The most successful team in Spanish and European club competition history, Real Madrid have become renowned for their never-ending galaxies of 'galacticos' - superstar players that dominate both the pitch and the headlines.
Few consider the coach of Los Blancos when looking back at the feats of Alfredo Di Stefano, Hugo Sanchez, Cristiano Ronaldo and others, but all teams need someone at the helm to make the tough calls and select the right tactics for any given occasion.
This week, current boss Carlo Ancelotti celebrated victory in the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup, thereby becoming the most decorated Madrid manager of all time and furthering his claim to be the outright number one.
The Italian tactician is only the second coach in the club's proud history to surpass 300 matches, after the late Miguel Munoz - but who else could be considered a contender for the title of Real Madrid's greatest?
Here, Sports Mole counts down the top five and lays out the feats each man has achieved at the iconic Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Former Real Madrid and Spain manager Jose Villalonga in 1965© Imago
Providing the foundation stone of Real Madrid's modern-day identity, the club's first European success was engineered by a 36-year-old manager, which puts into context the current 'new' trend for youthful head coaches such as Julian Nagelsmann.
Jose Villalonga remains the youngest coach to win the European Cup to this day, also overseeing Madrid's first ever treble, winning La Liga and the Copa Latina in addition to beating Reims in the 1956 continental final.
In all, the Cordoba-born coach claimed two league trophies, two European titles and two other cups during his three-year stay, before going on to prove he was no flash in the pan.
Having controversially joined Real's city rivals Atletico Madrid, Villalonga defeated his old side in consecutive Copa del Generalisimo finals, in 1960 and 1961.
He also won the European Cup Winners Cup with Atleti, and in 1964 led Spain to the European Championship title. However, his first year at the Bernabeu left the most significant mark in the history books.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane in 2020© Imago
Across two spells with Real Madrid - the only senior club he has managed to date - playing great Zinedine Zidane won La Liga twice and three Champions League titles, with the latter coming in consecutive seasons.
Stepping into the hot-seat once Rafa Benitez had been fired, 'Zizou' was already an established club legend, having secured plenty of silverware as Los Blancos' midfield maestro in the 'galactico' era.
Zidane's first stint started in January 2016 and lasted two-and-a-half years, kicking off with victory in his first El Clasico as a coach - a 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou that ended the Blaugrana's 39-match unbeaten streak.
In the 2017-18 campaign, he was named FIFA Best Men's Coach before winning his eighth trophy when Real beat Brazilian club Gremio in the Club World Cup final and became the first team ever to retain the trophy.
He later became one of only three managers, alongside Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti, to win the European Cup at least three times, while also becoming the first to win it in three consecutive seasons. Days after the third triumph, though, he announced his resignation.
Upon returning in 2019, Zidane secured another La Liga title - but one brutally interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When Spanish football restarted in June 2020, Madrid won 10 games in a row to capture their 34th league title, and that effectively served as his parting gift.
Vincente del Bosque, former Real Madrid manager in 2001© Imago
Real Madrid through and through, Vicente del Bosque joined the capital-city club at the age of 17, playing over 400 games before going on to coach Castilla, their reserve side.
The unassuming coach was caretaker manager twice - in 1994 and 1996 - before being appointed permanent boss in 1999, and during his four years in charge he won a major title each season.
His double Champions League-winning side featured homegrown stars such as Raul and Iker Casillas, plus international household names like Ronaldo and Zidane.
Del Bosque added two La Liga titles - in 2001 and 2003 - a Supercopa, a UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, as well as reaching the last four of the Champions League each season.
Not since the great team of the 1950s and '60s had the club succeeded so consistently, and his departure in 2003 caused a major split in the club, with captain Fernando Hierro being castigated for protesting to president Florentino Perez.
In the end, it all worked out for the best, as Del Bosque became the architect of the Spanish national team's finest hour, winning the World Cup in South Africa seven years later.
2. Carlo Ancelotti (2013-15 and 2021-Present)
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti pictured on August 25, 2024© Imago
Having won the title in each of Europe's top five leagues, Carlo Ancelotti is not only considered a Real Madrid great, he is well on the way to establishing himself as one of the best coaches ever.
Already the most successful Champions League manager with five trophies - three with Madrid and two with AC Milan - his first spell in charge ranks second in terms of highest win-rate throughout Real's long and illustrious history.
By defeating arch-rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the final, Los Blancos won the Champions League for an 11th time in his debut season; however, he was fired in 2015 after failing to win La Liga.
After leaving Spain, Ancelotti spent time in charge at Bayern Munich, Napoli and even Everton before unexpectedly returning to the Bernabeu, where he won three of a possible four trophies in his first season after replacing Zidane.
The Italian tactician was heavily linked with the Brazil job throughout 2023 but ultimately stayed and led a young team spearheaded by Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior to another Champions League triumph.
In August 2024, Ancelotti went joint-top of Madrid's all-time trophy list with victory in the UEFA Super Cup, and he subsequently ended the year by becoming the most decorated Real boss of all time.
Having moved onto 15 trophies by beating Pachucha to lift the recently revived Intercontinental Cup - via an emphatic 3-0 win in Qatar - he now stands alone.
Furthermore, the new season-ending FIFA Club World Cup will provide yet another opportunity to increase his tally once the current campaign is concluded.
His team also became only the second in La Liga history to go unbeaten in 39 consecutive matches, further cementing an indelible legacy - though one man still stands above him when it comes to longevity.
1. Miguel Munoz (1960-74)
Real Madrid manager Miguel Munoz in 1963© Imago
In total, Real Madrid have had 43 different managers in their history, but none has come close to matching the sheer breadth of impact made by Miguel Munoz.
Across 605 official matches he oversaw 357 wins, lasting 14 years in the Bernabeu dugout at a time when the Los Blancos legend was growing into the all-conquering club that dominates European football today.
Munoz started spectacularly, by coaching stars such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Paco Gento to a fifth straight European Cup win in 1960.
Having been a player in three of the previous four victories, he was already woven into the fabric of the club, and by winning the competition as manager he became the first man to do so as both player and coach.
The Madrid native added another European title in 1966, at a time when Real reigned supreme over their domestic rivals: they won nine league championships during his stay, and three Copas del Rey.
As a result, his trophy haul ranks second only to Ancelotti's, and the quiet but intelligent figure is also remembered for a revolutionary 3-3-4 formation that set all-time greats Puskas and Di Stefano free.
La Liga's trophy for coach of the season suitably still carries his name, befitting the standard bearer for all who follow him in the hallowed halls of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
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