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Zidane joins elite company, 7th to win Champions League as player and manager

Reuters

Madrid - French football legend Zinedine Zidane became just the seventh man to win the Champions League as a player and a coach after Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid on penalties on Saturday.

Related: Real Madrid defeats Atletico Madrid on penalties, claims 11th European Cup

Zidane masterminded a huge turnaround in Real's fortunes just five months into his first senior managerial role as he led the Spanish giant to its 11th European Cup after replacing the sacked Rafael Benitez in January.

His playing career at Real is most fondly remembered for the sensational winning goal he struck to win the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, but by virtue of Saturday's triumph, he joined some elite company.

Miguel Munoz

  • Player: Real Madrid 1956, 1957
  • Coach: Real Madrid 1960, 1966

Munoz was a key figure as Real's love affair with the European Cup began at its inception in the 1950s. He played in the side that won the first two of five consecutive titles. By that fifth triumph he had graduated to being the coach in one of the most memorable finals ever as Real thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 and was also in charge for Real's sixth European crown against Partizan Belgrade in 1966.

Giovanni Trapattoni

  • Player: AC Milan 1963, 1969
  • Coach: Juventus 1985

In contrast to his much-travelled career as a coach, Trapattoni spent almost his entire playing career at Milan and played his part in delivering the first two of the club's seven European Cups in 1963 and 1969. His only victory in the competition as a coach came with Juventus in the 1985 final, which was overshadowed by the death of 39 people after crowd trouble preceding the game against Liverpool.

Johan Cruyff

  • Player: Ajax 1971, 1972, 1973
  • Coach: Barcelona 1992

The late, great Cruyff transformed the sport in both roles. Firstly, as a player he starred in the all-conquering Ajax side of the seventies with a revolutionary style known as "total football" where every player was capable of playing in various positions. Two decades later, he brought the Ajax style focused on technical ability to Barcelona to win the Catalan giants first European Cup, 1-0 over Sampdoria at Wembley thanks to Ronald Koeman's free-kick.

Carlo Ancelotti

  • Player: AC Milan 1989, 1990
  • Coach: AC Milan 2003, 2007, Real Madrid 2014

A Champions League specialist, Ancelotti was part of the last team to retain the trophy as a player with Arrigo Sacchi's Milan in 1989 and 1990. The Italian then became just the second coach to win the competition three times.

His Milan sides overcame Juventus on penalties in 2003 and bounced back from blowing a 3-0 lead over Liverpool in the 2005 final to beat the English side in a rematch in 2007. And his crowning glory came in delivering Real Madrid's 10th title after a 12-year drought with a 4-1 win over Atletico in the first ever final between two sides from the same city in 2014.

Frank Rijkaard

  • Player: AC Milan 1989, 1990, Ajax 1995
  • Coach: Barcelona 2006

Rijkaard was another of Sacchi's soldiers at Milan before returning to his homeland to win Ajax's fourth European Cup in his last match as a player. Like his compatriot Cruyff, Rijkaard then went on to succeed at Barca as they came from behind to beat 10-man Arsenal 2-1 in the 2006 final.

Pep Guardiola

  • Player: Barcelona 1992
  • Coach: Barcelona 2009, 2011

Cruyff's truest disciple, Guardiola was a midfield maestro in Barca's 'dream team' of the early nineties before creating his own side beyond anyone in Barcelona's dreams. Led by the creative talents of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, Barca outclassed Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United 2-0 and 3-1 respectively in 2009 and 2011.

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