Winning a single league title or cup competition is an achievement for any manager, but guiding a team to a treble – lifting three major trophies in one season – requires tactical mastery, squad harmony, and relentless drive.
The treble represents the pinnacle of domestic and European success, requiring not only exceptional squad depth but the ability to keep morale up for a gruelling campaign and manage multiple competitions simultaneously.
Luis Enrique’s stunning 5-0 victory over Inter Milan with Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Champions League final completed one of the most impressive trebles in recent times.
The Spanish tactician’s PSG side had already secured Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, making this their first continental treble and placing Enrique in the most exclusive of coaching clubs. What made this triumph even more remarkable was that it came during the inaugural season of the competition’s revolutionary new format, as PSG navigated uncharted waters and went against free bet odds to claim European glory.
The 2024-25 Champions League was the first edition to feature the radical “Swiss Model” format, expanding from 32 to 36 teams and replacing traditional groups with one massive league, creating unprecedented variety and unpredictable matchups throughout the competition which made a free bet on football all the more interesting.
Only a select few managers have managed to coordinate such demanding campaigns, making them legends of the game. In this article, we reflect on some of the best to have graced the technical area.
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola, who is the only other manager to deliver the three biggest trophies on offer in a single season for two different clubs (at Barcelona in 2008-09 and Manchester City in 2022-23), remains the benchmark for modern tactical innovation.
His Barcelona treble revolutionised football with their tiki-taka approach, whilst his Manchester City triumph showcased his ability to adapt his methods to English football’s unique demands.
The Catalan’s influence extends beyond trophies, as his tactical innovations have shaped countless coaches worldwide.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson became the first modern-day coach to achieve the feat at Manchester United in 1998-99, orchestrating one of football’s most dramatic conclusions.
The Scottish manager’s treble-winning campaign epitomised his never-say-die mentality, with late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completing a remarkable Champions League final comeback against Bayern Munich.
Ferguson’s United combined youth with experience, featuring the fabled Class of ’92 alongside seasoned professionals like Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. His achievement came after years of Champions League heartbreak, proving that persistence and tactical evolution can eventually yield the ultimate prize.
The treble marked the peak of Ferguson’s domestic dominance and established Manchester United as a global powerhouse. He came close again in 2009 but just fell short of a clean sweep thanks to Guardiola’s Barca and a penalty shootout with Everton.
Guus Hiddink
Known more recently for his time in England with Chelsea, Guus Hiddink’s PSV achieved a historic treble by winning the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and European Cup in the late 80s.
The Dutch side, featuring the likes of Ronald Koeman and captain Eric Gerets, relied on defensive organisation and clinical counter-attacks to prevail in Europe, with Hiddink’s shrewd tactical management guiding PSV past Benfica in a tense penalty shootout in the final.
Hansi Flick
Hansi Flick achieved immortality at Bayern Munich in 2019-20, with the German’s achievement proving particularly impressive given the abbreviated nature of the 2020 season due to the pandemic.
A mere 10 months into the job and Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick guided his side to a historic Champions League treble, becoming only the sixth manager to do so.
His Bayern side combined devastating counter-attacking football with clinical finishing, culminating in an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Flick won 33 of his 36 games in charge and under his management, Bayern scored a whopping 116 goals while conceding just 26, lifting the trophy behind closed doors with a 1-0 win over PSG in Lisbon.
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