Ferguson named world's best manager
Tuesday, 3 April 2001 17:30Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and Ottmar Hitzfeld of Bayern Munich have been hailed as the best managers in the world ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash at Old Trafford. Ferguson has guided his side to a 63% success rate in number of games won over the last four seasons and his United team average 2.1 goals per game.
Both figures are top in a survey of managers in the leading European and South American leagues. Ferguson's nearest challenger is Hitzfeld, who has won 62% of games played at Bayern and Borussia Dortmund in the same period and has earned a total of 15 domestic titles compared to Ferguson's 24.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is third in the list of honours with 14 domestic titles and is in the top six of both games won (56%) and goals per game (1.8). Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's winning percentage (55%) sees him seventh in that category and his 1.7 goals per game is equal seventh. (PA)
Percentage of games won:
1) Ferguson 63, 2) Hitzfeld 62, 3) Louis van Gaal (Barcelona), Carlos Bianchi (Boca Juniors) 57, 5) Eriksson (Lazio, Sampdoria), Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid).
Goals scored per game:
1) Ferguson, van Gaal 2.1, 3) Hitzfeld 2.0, 4) Bianchi 1.9, 5) del Bosque, Eriksson 1.8.
Honours won:
1) Ferguson (24 domestic, six international), 2) Hitzfeld (15, two), 3 Eriksson (14, two), 4) van Gaal (10, five).
Filed by Shane Murray
