Successful a single league title or cup competitors is an achievement for any supervisor, however guiding a workforce to a treble – lifting three main trophies in a single season – requires tactical mastery, squad concord, and relentless drive.
The treble represents the head of home and European success, requiring not solely distinctive squad depth however the means to maintain morale up for a gruelling marketing campaign and handle a number of competitions concurrently.
Luis Enrique’s beautiful 5-0 victory over Inter Milan with Paris Saint-Germain within the 2025 Champions League closing accomplished probably the most spectacular trebles in latest occasions.
The Spanish tactician’s PSG aspect had already secured Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, making this their first continental treble and inserting Enrique in probably the most unique of teaching golf equipment. What made this triumph much more exceptional was that it got here throughout the inaugural season of the competitors’s revolutionary new format, as PSG navigated uncharted waters and went towards free wager odds to say European glory.
The 2024-25 Champions League was the primary version to function the novel “Swiss Mannequin” format, increasing from 32 to 36 groups and changing conventional teams with one huge league, creating unprecedented selection and unpredictable matchups all through the competitors which made a free wager on soccer all of the extra fascinating.
Solely a choose few managers have managed to coordinate such demanding campaigns, making them legends of the sport. On this article, we replicate on a number of the greatest to have graced the technical space.
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola, who’s the one different supervisor to ship the three largest trophies on supply in a single season for 2 totally different golf equipment (at Barcelona in 2008-09 and Manchester Metropolis in 2022-23), stays the benchmark for contemporary tactical innovation.
His Barcelona treble revolutionised soccer with their tiki-taka strategy, while his Manchester Metropolis triumph showcased his means to adapt his strategies to English soccer’s distinctive calls for.
The Catalan’s affect extends past trophies, as his tactical improvements have formed numerous coaches worldwide.
Photograph by Alex Broadway/Getty Pictures
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson turned the primary modern-day coach to attain the feat at Manchester United in 1998-99, orchestrating one among soccer’s most dramatic conclusions.
The Scottish supervisor’s treble-winning marketing campaign epitomised his never-say-die mentality, with late targets from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finishing a exceptional Champions League closing comeback towards Bayern Munich.
Ferguson’s United mixed youth with expertise, that includes the fabled Class of ’92 alongside seasoned professionals like Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. His achievement got here after years of Champions League heartbreak, proving that persistence and tactical evolution can ultimately yield the last word prize.
The treble marked the height of Ferguson’s home dominance and established Manchester United as a world powerhouse. He got here shut once more in 2009 however simply fell in need of a clear sweep due to Guardiola’s Barca and a penalty shootout with Everton.
Guus Hiddink
Identified extra not too long ago for his time in England with Chelsea, Guus Hiddink’s PSV achieved a historic treble by profitable the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and European Cup within the late 80s.
The Dutch aspect, that includes the likes of Ronald Koeman and captain Eric Gerets, relied on defensive organisation and medical counter-attacks to prevail in Europe, with Hiddink’s shrewd tactical administration guiding PSV previous Benfica in a tense penalty shootout within the closing.
Photograph by Ryan Pierse/Getty Pictures
Hansi Flick
Hansi Flick achieved immortality at Bayern Munich in 2019-20, with the German’s achievement proving significantly spectacular given the abbreviated nature of the 2020 season as a result of pandemic.
A mere 10 months into the job and Bayern Munich supervisor Hansi Flick guided his aspect to a historic Champions League treble, turning into solely the sixth supervisor to take action.
His Bayern aspect mixed devastating counter-attacking soccer with medical ending, culminating in an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona within the Champions League quarter-finals.
Flick gained 33 of his 36 video games in cost and underneath his administration, Bayern scored a whopping 116 targets whereas conceding simply 26, lifting the trophy behind closed doorways with a 1-0 win over PSG in Lisbon.
