With the UEFA Champions League back in action this week, we have four of the top managers in the world competing to advance their team to the final in Lisbon — Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho.

No manager has ever won the Champions League trophy three times. But this year, it looks that tables might be turned as three of the greatest coaches of all time go head-to-head this week while up-and-coming manager Simeone will try to barge his way into the pantheon of elite managers.

Ancelotti, Mourinho and Guardiola have all won the Champions League twice, and will lead Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively in the last four. All three managers have the chance to become the best in the tournament’s 22-years of history, with a third triumph enough for them to surpass the record of Champions League most successful coach, Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Manchester United ex-boss reached the final on four occasions, winning it two times — in 1999 and 2008, while his record of seven semi-finals has only been matched by Mourinho, while his 12 quarter-final appearances remains unmatched.

In the table below, the coaches are ranked from the Champions League era (beginning from 1993-94) in an “Olympics-style” system. The coaches are assessed initially based on the number of tournament wins, followed by final appearances, then semi-final spots and lastly quarter-final outings.

Name

Wins

Finals

Semi-Finals

Quarter-Finals

Sir Alex Ferguson

2

4

7

12

Carlo Ancelotti

2

3

5

8

Ottmar Hitzfeld

2

3

4

6

Jupp Heynckes

2

3

3

3

Jose Mourinho

2

2

8

8

Pep Guardiola

2

2

5

5

Vicente del Bosque

2

2

4

4

Marcello Lippi

1

4

5

5

Louis van Gaal

1

3

5

6

Fabio Capello

1

3

3

5

Currently Ferguson remains the UEFA Champions Leagues’ most successful head coach, but with Ancelotti, Guardiola and Mourinho all on the cusp of the third title, one of the three could make history by moving the top of the table at the end of this current season next month.

Ancelotti won the Champions League in 2003 and 2007 with AC Milan – losing a final in-between in 2005. Pep Guardiola also twice won the prize with Barcelona, in 2009 and 2011, while Mourinho emerged victorious in 2004 with Porto and in 2010 with Inter. Mourinho also holds the record as the first head coach to reach the semi-finals with four different clubs (Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid).

The top 10 consists of three Italians, two Germans, two Spaniards, one Scot, one Portugese and a Dutchman. Rafa Benitez misses out on a place on the list with two finals and one trophy, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also fails to touch the chart with just one unsuccessful final and two semi-finals.

Only Liverpool great Bob Paisley has lifted the European great trophy three times, but that was before the UEFA Champions League era.

So what do you think? Who will he be the first to clinch the Champions League title three times? Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti or the Special One – Jose Mourinho.?

Have your say in the comments section below.