Carlo Ancelotti was sacked by Real Madrid on Monday just a season after winning the Champions League, and this list shows a worrying trend for the fate of managers following success in the elite European competition.
The Italian saw his name forever etched in the Los Blancos history books after delivering ‘La Decima’ – Real’s tenth Champions League trophy – in his first campaign in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite the triumph, the Spanish giants gave Ancelotti just one more season before sacking him on 25 May 2015 – and he isn’t the first to have left under a similar cloud.
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Have a read below of the five managers, including Carlo Ancelotti, to have been struck by the Champions League curse…
Jose Mourinho, Inter Milan, 2010
The then Inter Milan boss led the Italian giants to European success in the 2009-10 season, beating Louis van Gaal’s Bayern Munich in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having already won Serie A and the Coppa Italia, the trophy secured a stunning treble-winning campaign for the Portuguese manager. Despite the tremendous success, the Chelsea manager seemed to know his fate had been decided, saying after the final, “I’m so sad as almost for sure it’s my last game with Inter,” [quoted by BBC Sport]. And that it was.
Pep Guardiola, Barcelona, 2011
Barca cruised to a 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the final at Wembley Stadium in 2011.
The Spaniard had quickly become the Spanish giant’s most successful manager in their history, and caused great shock when he announced his decision to leave the Camp Nou the next season. Four trophy-filled campaigns had left Guardiola feeling exhausted and in need of a sabbatical.
Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea, 2012
The former Chelsea midfielder was assistant to new Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas, but when the Portuguese was sacked after just nine months, the Italian was appointed interim boss – and what a few months it turned out to be.
He led the Stamford Bridge outfit to an unexpected victory in the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich in their own backyard on penalties – the first time the club had lifted the trophy in their history.
The success prompted Roman Abramovic to offer a two-year deal to Di Matteo to sign on a permanent basis, but just three months into his contract he was sacked and replaced by Rafael Benitez.
Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich, 2013
The German’s contract with the Bundesliga giants was up in the summer, and the 70-year-old informed the club prior to Christmas that he would be retiring at the end of the season.
Half-way through the campaign it was announced that Pep Guardiola would succeed his position at the Allianz Arena – but that didn’t stop Heynckes bowing out in tremendous fashion.
Bayern completed the season by winning The Treble – the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the DFB-Poktal.
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid, 2014
The Italian boasts one of the most outstanding CVs in professional football. In his first year at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ancelotti won the Copa del Rey, the Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League.
However, as Los Blancos president himself said in his press conference on Monday, expectations are very high at Real, and failure to repeat his success in Europe and pip rivals Barcelona to the La Liga title, ended in an unforgivable trophy-less season from Ancelotti.
