Finding managers who have won three domestic titles or more with different
teams in the same league proves to be quite difficult.
The serial winner managers are always special. Recently, Antonio Conte has
stolen the spotlight after clinching Serie A titles with Napoli, his third club
in his native country. Such achievement deserves recognition, as the former
Chelsea boss appears to be the only one who could do so from across the
European top five leagues.
Conte did lift the Serie A trophy while taking charge of his former side,
Juventus. He was the one who initiated La Vecchia Signora’s dominance in 2010.
Conte snatched the title in 2012 and 2014. He then did it again with Inter
Milan in the 2020/21 season.
His rare record makes him one of the few managers who did so. In Europe’s
top to mid-level leagues, only two names made such a similar unique record,
whereas in South America’s top-level competition, three names are on the list.
Two of whom are from Argentina.
Mustafa Denizli (Turkish Super Lig)
He is one of the most notable Turkish managers in history due to his success
with his clubs and national team. Denizli was the first boss to lead Turkey to
advance from the group stage in a major tournament.
In EURO 2000, Hakan Sukur and Co stunned the host Belgium and the world as
they humiliated De Rode Duivels in the last game of the group stage with a 2-0
victory to clinch one spot in the quarterfinal. It was a decisive match for
both teams, but Denizli’s men somehow managed to come out as a winner after
losing 2-1 to Italy at the opener and held Sweden in a goalless draw.
Denizli’s reputation, however, rises further than that, even more than the
legendary Fatih Terim and Senol Gunes. He remains the only boss who won Super
Lig titles with three different teams, which happen to be all three archrivals:
Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. He did it with Cim Bom in 1988 as well as
guided them to the European Cup semifinal in 1989. They were edged out by
Anghel Iordanescu’s Steaua Bucharest with young Gheorghe Hagi in the team.
The next one, Denizli, won it with Fenerbahce in 2001 with three points
ahead of his former side in the standings. Finally, he completed his record
with Besiktas eight years later as he led them to clinch double titles.
Unfortunately, he could not replicate Cim Bom’s continental success during his
stints in either of them.
Otto Baric (Austrian Bundesliga)
In a less well-known yet still mid-level league, Croatian-Austrian boss Otto
Baric is another figure with such a distinguished record. He won league titles
in three different eras with Wacker Innsbruck in the early 1970s, Rapid Vienna
in the 1980s and Casino Salzburg in the 1990s.
Baric’s first success in Innsbruck, which was his first club in Austria,
after leading teams in Germany's lower leagues and the Balkans, was quite
instant. From 1970 to 1972, he won two consecutive league titles.
However, he had to wait for more than a decade for another glorious
campaign. His spell in Rapid Vienna came to be fruitful not only in domestic competition
but also in the continental one. The former Croatia boss in EURO 2004 brought
Hans Krankl and Co. to win the Austrian Bundesliga in 1983, 1987 and 1988, plus
reach the Winners Cup in 1985 before losing to Everton in the final.
Baric delivered his next success in the new decade with Casino Salzburg as
he led them to clinch league titles in 1994 and 1995 plus advanced to the UEFA
Cup final in 1994. Sadly, his side was beaten to Inter Milan in the summit.
Jose Yudica & Americo Gallego (Argentina Primera Division)
In Argentina's top division, not only one but two managers have won three
league titles with three different teams. The first one was Jose Yudica. He did
it with Quilmes, Argentinos Juniors and Newell's Old Boys.
The first one was quite remarkable as he guided Quilmes to clinch their
league title to end their 66-year title drought in 1978. It also remains their
last silverware to date. What was more, he did it after only saving them from
relegation in the previous year.
Yudica’s second one was even better. The former Deportivo Cali man did not
only snatch the league title in 1985 but also the Copa Libertadores as well as
the Copa Interamericana, which contested the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF champions.
And finally, Yudica’s last Argentine league title was clinched in 1988 with
Newell's Old Boys. He achieved it in his third spell after his previous
failures in 1976-77 and 1979-1980.
His unique accolade was surprisingly passed on to his former player in Newell's
back in the late 1970s, America Gallego. The former midfielder became the
second gaffer to have such a record with River Plate, Independiente and his
former team, Newell's Old Boys.
Gallego clinched the league title twice with the Argentine powerhouse in
1994 and 2000, with the assistant manager role for the Argentina national team
in between under Daniel Passarella from 1995 to 1998. The member of the 1978
World Cup-winning squad carried on his Midas touch in Independiente in 2002 to
end their eight-year title drought.
He then returned to Newell's in 2004 and secured another league title in his
first stint as a manager. Unfortunately, he was unable to replicate his success
in the second stint back in 2015.
Vanderlei Luxemburgo (Brazilian Serie A)
Meanwhile, in Brazilian football, one distinguished figure rose with such a
record. Vanderlei Luxemburgo did not only win the league with three but four
teams: Palmeiras, Corinthians, Cruzeiro and Santos.
The former Real Madrid boss first enjoyed the taste of silverware at the top
level with Palmeiras by winning the league in 1993 to end their 17-year title
drought. He retained the Serie A title in the following year.
His second success came in 1998 with Corinthians. Such was his last
silverware before taking charge of the Brazil national team to succeed Mario
Zagalo after Ronaldo and Co’s loss in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.
Unfortunately, his tenure with Selecao did not last long despite their
convincing start plus clinching Copa America 1999. He was dismissed following
his failure to lead young Ronaldinho and Co. in the U23 team to progress to the
semi-final in football at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000.
Luxemburgo returned to the club level and delivered two more Brazilian Serie
A titles with Cruzeiro and Santos in 2003 and 2004, respectively. His high
profile attracted Real Madrid to sign him in the middle of the 2004/05 season.
Sadly, his spell in Bernabeu was only short-lived, as his team was still
unable to catch up with Ronaldinho’s Barcelona. They even humiliated his side
in El Clásico at their home turf with a 3-0 victory, which, in fact, ended with
Los Blancos fans applauding the Catalan side’s Brazilian talisman on the pitch
after the game.
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