For many managers that take charge of an English club, winning the FA Cup is the ultimate honour. Some may say the Premier League, and others will say the FA Cup.
The FA Cup final is still a huge event on television in the UK, even with so much football being available on TV almost every day of the week.
Some of the best managers in the world have had the pleasure of winning the FA Cup, with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp, and Jose Mourinho all lifting the trophy. One has won it more than anyone else, though.
- Who is the FA Cup's record goalscorer?
- Who won the first FA Cup?
- How to watch the FA Cup third round on TV and live stream
Which coach has won the most FA Cups?
The answer may not come as a massive surprise to many people. It's Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman became an FA Cup extraordinaire whilst he was the Arsenal coach for many years, and that is why he is at the top of the tree.
Wenger managed to win the FA Cup with Arsenal a staggering seven times before he left the club. The first one came all the way back in 1997/98, and the last one was as recent as the 2016/17 season.
To show that kind of longevity in a specific tournament but also in his entire career is seriously impressive and given the nature of managers not spending so long at one club anymore, it is a record he may well hold on to for a very long time.
Wenger has always been very proud of his record in the FA Cup and he spoke to the FA about that in 2022.
“Personally, I’m very proud of the record, because I’m a little French boy coming to England and this competition now exists for 150 years and I’ve won it more than anybody else,” he said. “Of course, I don’t hide it and I’m very proud of that because it’s not easy and it means when you stay for 22 years, basically every three years I won the FA Cup.
“I’m very proud of that because it shows a remarkable consistency and that I had a huge respect for this competition as well.
“Let’s wait until somebody beats me and even then…I think I was the first foreign manager to win the Premier League and then have the record in the FA Cup so overall I think I didn’t do too badly in the English game.”
Which team has won the most FA Cups?
As you might expect given Wenger's record, Arsenal are the team that has impressed the most in the FA Cup down the years. Wenger may have won seven, but Arsenal as a club has won 14 FA Cups.
They first won it back in 1930 and their most recent triumph was in 2020. For many of a certain age, Arsenal are the club they associate with the FA Cup as eight of their final wins have come in the last 22 years.
Manchester United are not very far behind with 12 FA Cup victories. The Red Devils have not won it since 2016, meaning they are somewhat overdue another victory. Interestingly, between 1998 and 2005, one of United and Arsenal won the FA Cup six times. The rivalry between the two sides and both Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, was fierce.
What to look out for in the 2022/23 FA Cup third round
The third round of the FA Cup is where the Premier League clubs get involved. The action kicks off on Friday night with Manchester United vs Everton at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag would love to win silverware in his first season at United, meaning they should take it very seriously.
Arsenal play on the Monday night away at Oxford United which will require a professional performance. The biggest game sees Manchester City take on Chelsea at the Etihad, two teams that have both won FA Cups in recent memory.
Source : 90min