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Mourinho Real Madrid Return? 10 Managers Who Went Back, 2026

Carlo Ancelotti won 4 trophies in his first Real Madrid spell and 11 in his second, yet his points per game still dipped from 2.35 to 2.24.

  • No. 1: Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich (returned 2011 and 2017)
  • 10 places

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

  1. 1

    Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich (returned 2011 and 2017)

    Came back about 20 years later and won Bayern's first treble in 2013 with a record 91 points. His points per game rose, and his 2017–18 stint won another league title.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 1 · Gemini: 2

    What each AI noted 3
    • Claudeplace 1

      He came back after 20 years away and won the 2013 treble. A fourth stint in 2017-18 then turned a 5-point deficit into an 18-point lead.

    • ChatGPTplace 1

      The 2011–13 return ended with Bayern’s first treble, after a season in which they set the Bundesliga points record at 91.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 2

      Returned after a 20-year gap to deliver Bayern's historic 2012–13 Treble, boosting their Elo score past 2050 to the highest level in European football.

      Source ↗
    3 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  2. 2

    Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid (returned 2021)

    Most trophies on a return: 11 in 2021–25 against 4 in 2013–15, including two Champions Leagues. His points per game still slipped, from 2.35 to 2.24.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 2 · Gemini: 1

    What each AI noted 3
    • Claudeplace 2

      His second spell brought two more Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles, six years after his first.

    • ChatGPTplace 2

      His second spell brought 11 trophies, including two Champions Leagues and two league titles, taking his Real Madrid total to 15.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 1

      Won 2 Champions Leagues in his second spell after a 6-year gap, matching his first-spell European crown while lifting his La Liga points-per-game to 2.29.

      Source ↗
    3 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  3. 3

    José Mourinho, Chelsea (returned 2013)

    Won the Premier League and League Cup double in 2015, though league points per game fell from 2.33 to 2.00. He won 2 trophies in the second spell against 5 in the first.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 7 · ChatGPT: 4 · Gemini: 5

    What each AI noted 3
    • Claudeplace 7

      The second spell won the 2015 league and League Cup double. Only 1 of the 2 title seasons ended in a title, though, and the win rate fell from 67.0% to 58.8%.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 4

      The first spell’s 2.33 Premier League points per match fell to 2.00 in the second, yet the return still won the 2014–15 title.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 5

      Ended Chelsea's five-year Premier League drought in 2015 after 6 years away, winning his 3rd league crown at Stamford Bridge with an 87-point tally.

    3 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  4. 4

    Ottmar Hitzfeld, Bayern Munich (returned 2007)

    About 3 years after leaving, he won the Bundesliga and DFB Cup double in 2007–08, his only full season back.

    Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 4 · ChatGPT: 3

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 4

      Hitzfeld returned in 2007 for one season and won the league and cup double. His first spell had brought a Champions League and four Bundesliga titles.

      Source ↗
    • ChatGPTplace 3

      His 2007–08 return delivered a league-and-cup double in his only full season back.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  5. 5

    Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid (returned 2019)

    Back after only 10 months, he won La Liga in 2020, but that made 2 trophies against 9 in his first spell. His first-spell rate was 2.29 points per game (beIN).

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 3 · Gemini: 4

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 3

      He won LaLiga in his first season back, but the second spell was far less productive than three straight Champions Leagues. beIN puts his first-spell rate at 2.29 points per game, and his second spell pulled the overall average down to 2.17.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 4

      Engineered a +70 Elo rebound and the 2019–20 La Liga title after returning just 284 days following his initial 3-peat Champions League run.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  6. 6

    Marcello Lippi, Juventus (returned 2001)

    Back after 2 years, he won two more Serie A titles (2002, 2003) and reached the 2003 Champions League final. Sources disagree on his trophy count: 5 or 3.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 5 · Gemini: 3

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 5

      Back after two years away, Lippi won two more Serie A titles in 2002 and 2003 and reached the 2003 Champions League final.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 3

      Won back-to-back Scudetti in 2002 and 2003 upon his return, sustaining a 1.94 career points-per-game average across 405 total matches in Turin.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  7. 7

    Fabio Capello, Real Madrid (returned 2006)

    He won La Liga in both one-season spells, ten years apart, and the club's hierarchy cut both short. Points per game: 2.19, then 2.06 (single source).

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 6 · Gemini: 6

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 6

      Capello won LaLiga in both of his Real Madrid spells, 10 years apart. The club's hierarchy cut both short.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 6

      Maintained a perfect 100% league title strike rate across two single-season Madrid tenures spaced a full decade apart (1997 and 2007).

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  8. 8

    Guus Hiddink, PSV (returned 2002)

    Added three more Eredivisie titles in his second PSV spell. Only one source gives this.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Claude: 8

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 8

      Hiddink added three more Eredivisie titles in his second spell.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  9. 9

    Brendan Rodgers, Celtic (returned 2023)

    A league and cup double in 2023–24, four years after leaving. Points per game held almost level, 2.24 then 2.22 (single source).

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: Gemini: 8

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 8

      Completed a domestic league-and-cup double in 2023–24 after a 4-year Premier League interlude, capturing his 9th and 10th major trophies with Celtic.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  10. 10

    David Moyes, West Ham (returned 2019)

    Won West Ham's first major European trophy, the 2023 Conference League, and raised his Premier League points per game from 1.22 to 1.37.

    Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 9

    What each AI noted 1
    • ChatGPTplace 9

      His second West Ham stint brought the club its first major European trophy, the 2023 Conference League.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗

More about the top three ↓

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

The three are judged on trophies and points per game in different leagues and eras, and the AIs' notes count trophies differently, so the numbers are not like-for-like.

1Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich (returned 2011 and 2017)

No. 1 — Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich (returned 2011 and 2017). On the lists of 3 of 6 AIs; median place there: 1. After a 20-year gap, he won Bayern's first treble in 2013, with a record 91 league points and another title in 2017–18.

Jupp Heynckes (cropped)
Александр Осипов · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • Heynckes' 2012–13 Bayern won 45 of 53 matches in all competitions. They lost just three times and dropped only 11 league points. That treble team was called the most successful Bayern side of all time.

    Source ↗
What it is
German coach who came back to Bayern Munich and won the club's first treble.
Its edge
Won a treble and a record 91 points, which the other two did not.
Who should know
Useful for anyone who wants proof that a comeback can beat the first spell.
  • Second-spell trophiesTreble, record 91 points

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • Bayern’s 2012–13 team set a Bundesliga record with 91 points under Heynckes, while winning the club’s first treble. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Heynckes said coming back was never his dream: "It wasn't my dream to ever come back as a coach." He returned after Ancelotti left, to calm a team in transition, so the second stint was a rescue job.

    Source ↗

Video: Bayern Munich & Jupp Heynckes' Treble Tactics Explained · Tifo Football by The Athletic

Compare the top three ↓

2Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid (returned 2021)

No. 2 — Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid (returned 2021). On the lists of 3 of 6 AIs; median place there: 2. He won the most trophies on a return, 11 against 4, even though his points per game slipped.

Carlo Ancelotti Brazil V Morocco 13 June 2026-47
Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What it is
Italian coach who came back to Real Madrid in 2021 after leaving in 2015.
Its edge
Won the most trophies on a return: 11 against 4 in his first spell.
Who should know
Useful for anyone who wants to see that more trophies can come with fewer points per game.
  • Second-spell trophies11 trophies (4 in first spell)

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • Ancelotti won 11 trophies in his 2021–25 return, compared with 4 in his first spell, according to the figures reported when he left Madrid. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Early in 2024-25, Ancelotti was criticised for slow substitutions. Spanish outlet Fox Sports Mexico reported fans wanting changes before the 60th or 70th minute.

    Source ↗

  • Reports said Kylian Mbappé was unhappy with Ancelotti's tactics. This is a press report, not an official statement.

    Source ↗
What people say

  • Criticism just 3 months after winning the CL? This is normal at Madrid, we are not worried. — Carlo Ancelotti

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Read Real Madrid's own page on their 14th European Cup, won 1-0 against Liverpool in Paris in 2022. Look at Vinícius Jr.'s goal and Courtois's saves.

    Source ↗
Gemini put it first. What they saw in it

  • Gemini: Won 2 Champions Leagues in his second spell after a 6-year gap, matching his first-spell European crown while lifting his La Liga points-per-game to 2.29.

Video: Carlo Ancelotti: How To Win Everything, Everywhere · Football Iconic

Compare the top three ↓

3José Mourinho, Chelsea (returned 2013)

No. 3 — José Mourinho, Chelsea (returned 2013). On the lists of 3 of 6 AIs; median place there: 5. He won the 2015 league and League Cup double, but fewer trophies than in his first spell, and points per game fell.

José Mourinho 20250206 (1)
Zafer · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • Before he was a famous manager, Mourinho worked as a translator. In 1992 Sporting CP hired Bobby Robson and needed a local English speaker, so Mourinho took the job. He followed Robson to Porto and later to Barcelona.

    Source ↗
What it is
Portuguese coach who came back to Chelsea in 2013 after leaving in 2007.
Its edge
Won a league and cup double in 2015, but fewer trophies than the other two.
Who should know
Useful for anyone who wants a warning that a comeback can start well and end badly.
  • Second-spell trophies2 trophies (5 in first spell)

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • He won 5 trophies in his first Chelsea spell, then added 1 more by March 2015, his first trophy after returning. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
Did you know

  • In his first Chelsea spell, his team set a record of 64 league games in a row at home without a defeat. The run ended the earlier record held by Liverpool from 1978 to 1981.

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • The second spell ended badly. Chelsea sacked him in December 2015, seven months after the title, with the team just above the relegation zone, four months after he signed a new four-year contract.

    Source ↗

  • He had public disputes with referees, a television rights holder and the club's doctor. After the Leicester loss he said he felt "betrayed" by his players.

    Source ↗
What people say

  • There obviously seemed to be a palpable discord between manager and players. — Michael Emenalo

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Read the FA's story on Chelsea's 2015 League Cup win, 2-0 over Tottenham at Wembley. Notice how the club's first trophy of Mourinho's second spell came in that final.

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

Jupp Heynckes, Bayern Munich (returned 2011 and 2017)Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid (returned 2021)José Mourinho, Chelsea (returned 2013)
In the AIs' lists3 / 63 / 63 / 6
Second-spell trophiesTreble, record 91 points11 trophies (4 in first spell)2 trophies (5 in first spell)
Put first byClaude, ChatGPTGemini—

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

More ratings

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

The Premier League's own figures show that second spells usually lose points per match. Redknapp at Portsmouth (1.18 to 1.42) and Moyes at West Ham are the exceptions.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.
Source ↗

Heynckes is the clearest exception to the decline. Bayern finished second in 2011–12, then won the treble in 2012–13 with a record 91 Bundesliga points.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.
Source ↗

More trophies did not mean better form. Ancelotti won 11 in his second Madrid spell, but his points per game fell from 2.35 to 2.24. Mourinho's league rate at Chelsea fell from 2.33 to 2.00, and he still won the title.

Noticed by:
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Nemotron, Kimi.
Source ↗

Mourinho's Real Madrid return is still unfinished. After seven games Madrid were fourth, six points behind an unbeaten Barcelona, going into his first Clásico since 2013.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.
Source ↗

None of the answers produced a dated Club Elo pair from before and after a return. Elo figures quoted without a dated source were left out instead of being presented as checked.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.
Source ↗

04Questions people ask

Why did Mourinho leave Real Madrid?

He left in May 2013 by mutual agreement, after three seasons and a trophyless final campaign. The dressing room had split, especially over his treatment of captain Iker Casillas.

Source ↗
Will Mourinho return to Real Madrid?

He already has. He was reappointed in 2026, 13 years after leaving, and his first Clásico back is on 25 October 2026 at Camp Nou.

Source ↗
Did Mourinho win trophies in his second spell at Chelsea?

Yes, the 2014–15 Premier League and League Cup. That was 2 trophies against 5 in his first spell, and his league points per match fell from 2.33 to 2.00.

Source ↗
Why do second-spell stats differ between sources?

Some count all competitions and others count the league only. Mourinho's first-spell Chelsea win rate is 67.03% across all games but 70.8% in the league alone, and trophy totals change when super cups are counted.

Source ↗

05How we counted

In plain words, no formulas.

1The question

Top 10 Managers Who Returned to a Former Club: Who Won Trophies the Second Time Round

2Why this topic

Readers get a fair test of whether second spells work, using three separate measures instead of nostalgia, at the moment Mourinho is back at Madrid after 13 years.

3Where it applies

Men's club football worldwide

4What we looked at

  • Trophies in the first spell compared with the second
  • Points per game in the first spell compared with the second
  • Years between the two spells
  • Change in the club's Elo rating and league finish after the manager returned
  • Premier League: managers who returned to a former club — League points per match in the first and second spells of Premier League returners; spells of five matches or fewer are excluded
  • Transfermarkt — Matches, points per game and honours for each spell; totals can include super cups and caretaker spells
  • FourFourTwo: Jose Mourinho club-by-club record — Games, wins, draws, losses and trophies for each Mourinho spell, including both at Chelsea
  • Sky Sports: Mourinho in stats — League-only win rate and points per game for each Chelsea spell

5Who ranked

The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, Kimi.

6How the places were set

The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.

06Each AI's own list

🇺🇸 Claude10 places · 3 notes

The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Jupp Heynckes at Bayern Munich

    He came back after 20 years away and won the 2013 treble. A fourth stint in 2017-18 then turned a 5-point deficit into an 18-point lead.

  2. 2
    Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid (2021 return)

    His second spell brought two more Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles, six years after his first.

  3. 3
    Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid (2019 return)

    He won LaLiga in his first season back, but the second spell was far less productive than three straight Champions Leagues. beIN puts his first-spell rate at 2.29 points per game, and his second spell pulled the overall average down to 2.17.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Ottmar Hitzfeld at Bayern Munich (2007)

    Hitzfeld returned in 2007 for one season and won the league and cup double. His first spell had brought a Champions League and four Bundesliga titles.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Marcello Lippi at Juventus (2001 return)

    Back after two years away, Lippi won two more Serie A titles in 2002 and 2003 and reached the 2003 Champions League final.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Fabio Capello at Real Madrid (2006 return)

    Capello won LaLiga in both of his Real Madrid spells, 10 years apart. The club's hierarchy cut both short.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Jose Mourinho at Chelsea (2013 return)

    The second spell won the 2015 league and League Cup double. Only 1 of the 2 title seasons ended in a title, though, and the win rate fell from 67.0% to 58.8%.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Guus Hiddink at PSV (2002 return)

    Hiddink added three more Eredivisie titles in his second spell.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus (2021 return)

    He won 5 straight scudetti the first time and only a Coppa Italia in his second spell.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool (2011 return)

    Dalglish brought Liverpool the 2012 League Cup in his second spell, which remained the club's only trophy in that period.

    Source ↗

What Claude noticed

Returns tend to look worse than first spells on points per game. All three of Mourinho's, Zidane's and Mourinho's Chelsea-returnee peers saw win rates fall.

Source ↗

Zidane is the extreme case of a quick return: rehired in March 2019, just 10 months after leaving, he won LaLiga in his first season back but never repeated his three Champions Leagues.

Source ↗

Mourinho's Real Madrid return is only 2026 and unfinished. The team sat fourth, six points behind unbeaten Barcelona, after seven games before this Sunday's Clasico.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Jupp Heynckes — Bayern Munich (2011–13; return in 2017)

    The 2011–13 return ended with Bayern’s first treble, after a season in which they set the Bundesliga points record at 91.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Carlo Ancelotti — Real Madrid (2013–15; return in 2021)

    His second spell brought 11 trophies, including two Champions Leagues and two league titles, taking his Real Madrid total to 15.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Ottmar Hitzfeld — Bayern Munich (1998–2004; return in 2007)

    His 2007–08 return delivered a league-and-cup double in his only full season back.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    José Mourinho — Chelsea (2004–07; return in 2013)

    The first spell’s 2.33 Premier League points per match fell to 2.00 in the second, yet the return still won the 2014–15 title.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Harry Redknapp — Portsmouth (2002–04; return in 2005)

    His second stint improved his Premier League points rate and culminated in Portsmouth’s first major trophy in 58 years.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Carlo Ancelotti — Bayern Munich (2016–17; return to Real Madrid in 2021)

    Not ranked separately: this is the same Real Madrid return above; Bayern was not a former club for that appointment.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Guus Hiddink — Chelsea (2009; return in 2015)

    His first emergency spell produced 2.62 Premier League points per match; the shorter return dropped to 1.52.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Roy Hodgson — Crystal Palace (2017–21; return in 2023)

    The Premier League’s return table gives his one-match 2023 spell a 3.00 PPM, a tiny sample that makes the comparison misleading.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    David Moyes — West Ham United (2017–18; return in 2019)

    His second West Ham stint brought the club its first major European trophy, the 2023 Conference League.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Kenny Dalglish — Liverpool (1985–91; return in 2011)

    The return won the 2012 League Cup, but the league PPM fell from 2.07 to 1.52 in one analysis.

    Source ↗

What ChatGPT noticed

The Premier League’s own sample says second spells usually regress on points per match, but Redknapp and Moyes stand out as exceptions in the cited analyses.

Source ↗

Heynckes turned Bayern’s 2011–12 runners-up season into a 2012–13 treble and a 91-point Bundesliga campaign.

Source ↗

Ancelotti’s Real Madrid second spell won more titles than his first, but his listed match PPM was slightly lower: about 2.24 versus 2.35.

Source ↗

Mourinho’s Chelsea return had a lower league PPM than the first spell, yet it included another Premier League title; the story changes depending on whether one values peak dominance or the second title itself.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 2 notes

The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

    Won 2 Champions Leagues in his second spell after a 6-year gap, matching his first-spell European crown while lifting his La Liga points-per-game to 2.29.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich)

    Returned after a 20-year gap to deliver Bayern's historic 2012–13 Treble, boosting their Elo score past 2050 to the highest level in European football.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Marcello Lippi (Juventus)

    Won back-to-back Scudetti in 2002 and 2003 upon his return, sustaining a 1.94 career points-per-game average across 405 total matches in Turin.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

    Engineered a +70 Elo rebound and the 2019–20 La Liga title after returning just 284 days following his initial 3-peat Champions League run.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    José Mourinho (Chelsea)

    Ended Chelsea's five-year Premier League drought in 2015 after 6 years away, winning his 3rd league crown at Stamford Bridge with an 87-point tally.

  6. 6
    Fabio Capello (Real Madrid)

    Maintained a perfect 100% league title strike rate across two single-season Madrid tenures spaced a full decade apart (1997 and 2007).

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Giovanni Trapattoni (Juventus)

    Added the 1992–93 UEFA Cup to his 6 Serie A titles from his first era, returning after 5 years to lift Juventus back onto the European podium.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

    Completed a domestic league-and-cup double in 2023–24 after a 4-year Premier League interlude, capturing his 9th and 10th major trophies with Celtic.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)

    Snagged the 2023–24 Coppa Italia on his return despite a 10-point FIGC deduction, averting a multi-year silverware blank for the Bianconeri.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)

    Broke Liverpool's 6-year trophy drought by capturing the 2012 League Cup after stepping back into the Anfield dugout 20 years following his 1991 resignation.

    Source ↗

What Gemini noticed

Heynckes and Dalglish share the longest gap between trophy-winning tenures at exactly 20 years apart, but Heynckes posted a superior second-stint PPG (2.43 vs 1.63).

Source ↗

Only Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane managed to win both a continental European title and a domestic league championship across separate spells at the same club.

Source ↗