Vincente del Bosque UEFA Champions League Coach

The Early Years

Vincente del Bosque began his career in football as a member of Real Madrid's famous youth academy. After graduating he moved on to La Liga side CD Castéllon where he played as defender. During his playing career del Bosque played for several top La Liga sides and the national team, eventually playing out his last days as a footballer at Real Madrid.

Coaching Career

Vincente del Bosque's playing career ended in 1984, but he remained involved in Real Madrid as the youth team coach. For the next decade his influence at the club increased and in 1994 he was temporarily handed the reigns for the club's first team while the club searched for a successor to then coach Benito Floro.

After a series of appointments of foreign coaches proved to be a disappointment, Real Madrid made the decision to appoint Vincente del Bosque at the permanent coach. The UEFA Champions League coach took control of the first ream in 1999 and began delivering results almost instantly.

UEFA Champions League Coach

Portrait of Real Madrid coach Vincente Del Bosque during the UEFA Champions League Group A match against AS Roma played at the Stadio Olimpico, in Rome, Italy.

Vincente del Bosque achieved the unique feat of winning the UEFA Champions League in his first season as head coach of a club. In 2000 Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League by trouncing La Liga rivals Valencia 3-0.

Real Madrid's first European title of the new millennium sparked off a powerful resurgence at the club as their UEFA Champions League coach proved himself capable of extracting the best from his crop of world class footballers.

Real Madrid won the La Liga in Vincente del Bosque's second season in charge and followed this up with a Spanish Supercup title in 2001. In 2002 Vincente del Bosque guided his side to yet another UEFA Champions League title as the side defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the final.

Despite capping his second UEFA Champions League win with another La Liga title in 2003, the UEFA Champions League coach's contract was not renewed for the next season. It is now understood that the mild-mannered del Bosque had fallen out with Real Madrid's management over the firing of captain Fernando Hierro.

As the coach's availability became know several clubs scrambled for his services with Turkish club Besiktas recruiting him for one season. Since the departure of their UEFA Champions League coach, Real Madrid have employed and fired another seven coaches, winning only one piece of silverware in four years.