Vicente del Bosque

Vicente del Bosque González is a retired Spanish football manager and former player. He is widely considered one of the greatest managers in the history of the sport. His legacy is defined by an unprecedented collection of trophies. He is the only manager to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA European Championship, and the Intercontinental Cup.

This achievement sets him apart from every other coach in football history.

Before he became a famous coach, del Bosque was a professional midfielder. He played for several Spanish clubs, including Castilla CF, Córdoba, and Castellón. However, he is most closely associated with Real Madrid. During his playing career at the club, he made over 400 appearances. He won five La Liga titles and four Copas del Rey trophies. He also earned 18 caps for the Spain national team, where he scored one goal. One notable moment was playing in the 1981 European Cup Final against Liverpool.

Del Bosque's managerial journey at Real Madrid began long before his most famous years. He served the club starting in 1984 and rose through the various coaching ranks. He held very brief stints as manager in 1994 and 1996. He finally became the full-time manager in November 1999, following difficulties with coach John Toshack. In his four seasons, he led the club through a highly successful modern era. He guided Real Madrid to 104 wins out of 186 possible matches. This period included two UEFA Champions League titles in 2000 and 2002, and two La Liga titles in 2001 and 2003.

During his time at Real Madrid, del Bosque managed a group known as "Los Galácticos." This policy, led by President Florentino Pérez, involved signing the world's most famous and marketable stars. The squad included legendary players like Luís Figo, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo. Despite the presence of these massive egos, del Bosque was known for his calm demeanor. Observers described him as "cool as a cryogenically-frozen cucumber." He was a humble and unassuming leader who avoided confrontations with his players. However, there were often allegations that the club hierarchy had more control over transfers and team selection than he did.

In 2003, Real Madrid decided not to renew his contract, just one day after winning the 29th Liga title. This departure followed a period of political tension at the club. Some suggested a split existed between del Bosque and certain players, such as captain Fernando Hierro. President Pérez stated that del Bosque was showing signs of exhaustion. After leaving Madrid, del Bosque managed Beşiktaş in Turkey before a hiatus. He also declined offers to manage the Mexican national team in 2006.

Del Bosque returned to the highest level of international football in 2008. He replaced Luis Aragonés as the head coach of the Spain national team. He immediately achieved historic success by winning his first ten games as a national team manager. This feat broke the previous record of nine wins held by João Saldanha of Brazil. Under his leadership, Spain achieved a perfect qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They won all ten of their qualifying matches, a record-breaking feat for the team.

His success continued with Spain's victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After losing their opening match to Switzerland, Spain won their remaining games to reach the final. They defeated the Netherlands in the final thanks to an extra-time goal by Andrés Iniesta. This victory made del Bosque the oldest coach to win the World Cup. He then led Spain to retain their European title at Euro 2012. Spain defeated Italy 4–0 in the final held in Kyiv.

This era of dominance was built on a specific style of play called "tiki-taka."

The later years of his career brought different challenges. In the 2013 Confederations Cup, Spain lost 3–0 to Brazil in the final. The 2014 FIFA World Cup was more difficult, as Spain was eliminated in the group stage. This included a 5–1 loss to the Netherlands, which was the biggest margin of defeat for a defending champion. After Spain was eliminated from Euro 2016 by Italy, del Bosque announced his intention to resign. He officially retired from football on June 30, 2016. He is married to María de la Santísima Trinidad López and has three children.