Top 10 Most Successful Football Managers of All Time

Former Scottish coach and legendary Premier League manager Sir Alex Ferguson is undoubtedly the greatest football manager the world has ever seen. During his time, Manchester United achieved a different height in the league. Besides, Italian football coach Carlo Ancelotti and Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho also deserve their mentions among the most successful football managers of all time.

A Manager is the most important person in football because he is the key man to plan everything, not just for his own team, but he has to monitor the other moves made by the opponents as well.

The manager has to find out the ego of the players and must introduce psychological effects in the match; this is well explained when Louis Van Gall substituted Tim Krul for just penalties during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between Holland and Costa Rica. Let’s see the list of most successful football managers in football history.

Most Successful Football Managers of All Time | 2024 Power Ranking

Content Summery

There are several greatest football managers who are currently not active. But no one can deny their contribution to the game. We ranked just 10 coaches on this list, but while doing that, several names of great coaches were left out because of the minute difference in success.

So without wasting any more time, let’s dive into the most successful soccer managers on the all-time list.

10. Roberto Mancini – Most Successful Italian Football Manager

Roberto Mancini Sucessful Managers

Italian football manager Roberto Mancini achieved 26 domestic and international trophies in his managerial career as of 2022. Regarded as a cup specialist, he marked his name among the most successful football managers of all time.

He started his coaching journey with Fiorentina in 2001 and later managed several top-flight clubs like Manchester City and Inter Milan. Mancini is currently managing the Italian national football team since 2018.

Trophies: He won the Coppa Italia with Fiorentina in 2001 and with Lazio in 2004. With Inter Milan, he achieved the Serie A title three times in a row from 2006 to 2008. He also helped the club to secure the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana titles twice each. He is the manager with the most trophies.

During his time at EPL, Manchester City became the Premier League champion and won the FA Community Shield in 2012. The club also achieved the FA Cup in 2011 under his guidance. While coaching the Turkish side Galatasaray, he won the domestic cup in the 2013-14 season.

Roberto Mancini Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Fiorentina February 2001 to January 2002 44 16 14 14 36.36%
Lazio May 2002 to July 2004 102 49 32 21 48.04%
Inter Milan July 2004 to May 2008 226 140 60 26 61.95%
Manchester City December 2009 to May 2013 191 113 38 40 59.16%
Galatasaray September 2013 to June 2014 46 24 13 9 52.17%
Inter Milan November 2014 to August 2016 76 36 16 24 47.37%
Zenit Saint Petersburg June 2017 to May 2018 45 22 13 10 48.9%
Italy May 2018 to Present 31 22 7 2 70.9%

Awards: For his amazing coaching stint with Inter Milan, Mancini received the Panchina d’Oro in 2008. During his time at Liverpool, he twice became the Premier League Manager of the Month.

He received that award first in December 2010, followed by another in October 2011. Italian Football Federation inducted joker123 him into their Hall of Fame in 2015 for his remarkable contribution to world football.

9. Jürgen Klopp – Greatest Premier League Manager

Jurgen Klopp Sucessful Managers

German manager Jurgen Klopp spent 15 seasons coaching in Bundesliga before moving to Liverpool in 2015. Under his guidance, several amazing footballers like Mohamed Salah, Adam Lallana, and Roberto Firmino came into prominence in Liverpool. Klopp is the longest-serving manager of Borussia Dortmund and holds the ninth place in the most successful football managers list.

After his brief career with Mainz 05 as a footballer, he started his managerial journey with the club. With several awards under his name, Klopp is also one of the most successful football managers of 2022.

Trophies: Under his guidance, Mainz 05 achieved the promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in the 2003-04 season. He came into prominence in the coaching field for his stint with another Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.

The club achieved two Bundesliga titles consecutively under his coaching in 2011 and then again in 2012. He also held the DFB-Pokal trophy with the Dortmund squad in 2012. Klopp helped the squad to win the DFL-Supercup twice consecutively in 2013 and 2014.

Jürgen Klopp Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Mainz 05 February 2001 to June 2008 270 109 78 83 40.4%
Borussia Dortmund July 2008 to June 2015 316 177 69 70 56.0%
Liverpool October 2015 to present 318 188 73 57 59.1%

Awards: For his amazing success with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp received the German Football Manager of the Year award twice consecutively. He first received it in 2011, and with the League win, he received it again in 2012.

During his time with the Premier League club Liverpool, he won the English Premier League Manager of the Month award in September 2016.

8. Manuel Pellegrini – Greatest Chilean Football Manager

Manuel Pellegrini Sucessful Managers

Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini is currently managing La Liga Side Real Betis and earned the eighth place in the most successful soccer managers list. After his management success at Villarreal, Real Madrid appointed him as their manager in 2009. Under his coaching, Los Blancos made 96 points in La Liga that season.

He moved to Premier League to coach Manchester City in 2013. After his successful time there, he moved to Hebei, China, in 2016. He then managed West Ham before moving to Real Betis.

Trophies: With Chilean side Universidad Católica, he won the Copa Interamericana in 1993 and Copa Chile in 1995. With LDU Quito, he achieved the Serie A trophy in 1999. San Lorenzo won both the Primera División and Copa Mercosur under his guidance in 2001. With the Argentine club River Plate, Pellegrini achieved the Argentina Primera División in 2003.

He then moved to La Liga and made Villarreal the UEFA Intertoto Cup champion in 2004. With Manchester City, Pellegrini became the Premier League winner once and the Football League Cup champion twice.

Manuel Pellegrini Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Villarreal July 2004 to June 2009 259 123 72 64 47.5%
Real Madrid June 2009 to May 2010 48 36 5 7 75.0%
Málaga November 2010 to June 2013 129 53 30 46 41.1%
Manchester City June 2013 to June 2016 167 100 28 39 59.9%
Hebei China Fortune August 2016 to May 2018 52 22 12 18 42.3%
West Ham United May 2018 to December 2019 64 24 11 29 37.5%
Real Betis July 2020 to Present 43 21 11 11 48.8%

Awards: Manuel Pellegrini received the Miguel Muñoz Trophy for being the best football manager in the world in 2008. He received the Gold Shield from the Málaga Provincial Council for his spectacular coaching stint with the Malaga club.

During his time in Premier League, he received the Premier League Manager of the Month award four times.

7. Antonio Conte – Greatest Football Manager In Serie A

Antonio Conte Sucessful Managers

Italian coach Antonio Conte managed his national side besides his stints with several richest football clubs in the world. One of the most decorated players of his time, Conte earned his place among the most successful football managers in history.

He earned praise from football pundits after implementing the 3–5–2 formation in the Juventus squad in 2011. After his successful stints with the Italian club, he last managed fellow Serie A side Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021.

Trophies: With Italian club FC Bari 1908, he won the Serie B in the 2008-09 season. He then managed the Juventus squad and achieved the Serie A title thrice. Under his coaching, Juventus won the domestic league in 2012, 2013, and then again in 2014.

He also helped the club to become victorious in the Supercoppa Italiana twice. Premier League club Chelsea achieved the EPL trophy in the 2016-17 season under Conte’s management.

Antonio Conte Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Arezzo July 2006 to June 2007 12 3 5 4 25.0%
Bari December 2007 to June 2009 67 32 20 15 47.8%
Atalanta September 2009 to January 2010 14 3 4 7 21.4%
Siena July 2010 to May 2011 44 22 14 8 50.0%
Juventus May 2011 to July 2014 152 102 35 15 67.1%
Italy August 2014 to July 2016 25 14 7 4 56.0%
Chelsea July 2016 to July 2018 106 69 17 20 65.1%
Inter Milan May 2019 to May 2017 102 64 23 15 62.75%

Awards: Conte received the Premier League Manager of the Month award three times till now and was named the Serie A Coach of the Year thrice. He won the Premier League Manager of the Season, LMA Manager of the Year, and Special Achievement GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2017.

He also received the Manager of the Year award at the London Football Awards 2017. Besides, Conte won the Panchina d’Oro thrice and Panchina d’Argento once.

6. Giovanni Trapattoni – Greatest Italian Football Manager of All Time

Giovanni Trapattoni Sucessful Managers

Widely regarded as the most successful Serie A coach, Giovanni Trapattoni deserves his place in the list of best football managers. Nicknamed the “Trap,” Trapattoni was noted for being one of the only five coaches to win the league titles in four different European countries.

He is the only manager besides Udo Lattek to win all three main European club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League. Besides coaching the Italian national side, he managed several big clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Bayern Munich.

Trophies: Trapattoni achieved the most success with the Italian club Juventus. With the club, he won the Serie A title a record 6 times and the Coppa Italia twice. With Inter Milan, he won the Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana in 1989 and the UEFA Cup in 1991.

Under his management, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga and DFB-Ligapokal in 1997 and DFB-Pokal in 1998. With Benfica, Trapattoni won the Primeira Liga in 2007. His international success came with the Republic of Ireland in the 2011 Nations Cup.

Giovanni Trapattoni Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
AC Milan April 1974 to June 1974 11 4 5 2 36.36%
Juventus July 1976 to June 1986 450 244 136 70 54.22%
Inter Milan July 1986 to June 1991 233 126 61 46 54.08%
Juventus July 1991 to June 1994 140 74 42 24 52.86%
Bayern Munich July 1994 to June 1995 46 17 18 11 36.96%
Cagliari July 1995 to June 1996 37 13 8 16 35.14%
Bayern Munich July 1996 to June 1998 90 55 22 13 61.11%
Fiorentina July 1998 to June 2000 99 44 31 24 44.44%
Italy July 2000 to July 2004 44 25 12 7 56.82%
Benfica July 2004 to May 2005 51 29 10 12 56.86%
VfB Stuttgart June 2005 to February 2006 31 11 13 7 35.48%
Red Bull Salzburg May 2006 to April 2008 87 48 19 20 55.17%
Republic of Ireland May 2008 to September 2013 64 26 22 16 40.63%

Awards: Trapattoni won the Seminatore d’Oro twice, and the Premio l’Allenatore Dei Sogni and Panchina d’Oro once each. He also received the European Football Coach of the Year award twice. During his time in Serie A, he won the European Coach of the Season award two times.

World Soccer Magazine named him the 19th greatest football manager of all time in 2013. Italian Football Federation inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2012. Shortly after, AC Milan inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2015.

5. Pep Guardiola – Most Successful Manager In EPL

Pep Guardiola Sucessful Managers

Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, known for his successful tenure at Manchester City, can be compared to the experience of using the Fair Go Casino Mobile App. Just as Guardiola brought a new level of success to the team, the Fair Go Casino app offers a revolutionary way to enjoy casino games on the go, combining convenience with the thrill of gaming.

As an interesting fact, football magician Lionel Messi came into prominence under Pep’s guidance. After his stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he has been managing the sky blues since 2016.

Trophies: With Barcelona, Pep won La Liga thrice and the Copa del Rey twice. He also achieved the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup twice, each with the Catalan side. Under his guidance, Barca won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 and 2011.

With Bayern Munich, he won the Bundesliga thrice and DFB-Pokal twice. The club also won both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup under his coaching in 2013. With Manchester City, he held three Premier League trophies and the EFL Cup four times.

Pep Guardiola Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Barcelona B June 2007 to June 2008 38 25 8 5 65.8%
Barcelona July 2008 to June 2012 247 179 47 21 72.5%
Bayern Munich June 2013 to June 2016 161 121 21 19 75.2%
Manchester City July 2016 to present 294 215 36 43 73.1%

Awards: Pep received the Premier League Manager of the Month award nine times as of 2022. He also won the La Liga Coach of the Year four times during his stint with Barcelona. He received the Don Balon Award twice and the Onze d’Or Coach of the Year award thrice.

World Soccer Magazine named him the 5th greatest soccer manager of all time in 2013. Pep won both the FIFA World Coach of the Year and European Coach of the Year in 2011.

4. Arsène Wenger – Longest-Serving Premier League Manager

Arsene Wenger Sucessful Managers

Widely regarded as one of the best EPL coaches, Arsene Wenger holds the fourth spot in the list of most successful football managers ever. After 22 years of coaching the Arsenal squad, he stepped down from his post in 2018.

Nicknamed “Le Professeur,” Wenger revolutionized the training and diet system of English football players in the 1990s. Besides his reign with the Gunners, he also spent brief periods with several other clubs like Monaco and Nancy.

Trophies: With AS Monaco, he won one of the most popular football leagues, the French Ligue 1 in 1988 and the Coupe de France in 1991. With his brief stint with Nagoya Grampus, he achieved the Emperor’s Cup in 1995 and the J-League Super Cup in 1996.

Under his coaching, Arsenal won the English Premier League three times, in 1998, 2002, and then again in 2004. He also guided the Gunners to achieve the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup seven times each as of 2022.

Arsene Wenger Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
AS Nancy July 1984 to July 1987 114 33 30 51 28.9%
AS Monaco July 1987 to September 1994 266 130 53 83 48.9%
Nagoya Grampus Eight February 1995 to September 1996 87 49 4 34 56.3%
Arsenal October 1996 to present 1,235 707 280 248 57.2%

Awards: He received the Premier League Manager of the Season thrice till now. He won the Onze d’Or Coach of The Year four times and LMA Manager of the Year twice. BBC named him Sports Coaching Personality of the Year twice.

Wenger won the World Manager of the Year in 1998 and the FWA Tribute Award in 2005. IFFHS named him the World Coach of the Decade 2000s. English football federation inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2006.

3. Jose Mourinho – Greatest Portuguese Football Manager

Jose Mourinho Sucessful Managers

Regarded as the best for his stint with Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho holds the third place among the most successful football managers on the all-time list. After a brief career in professional football, Mourinho started his coaching journey as an assistant manager of Porto in 1994. Since then, he has managed several great clubs, such as Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.

He coached the English Premier League side Manchester United from 2016 to 2018. ‘The Special One’ then managed Tottenham Hotspur from 2018 to 2021. Recently, he started managing the Italian Serie A Side AS Roma in 2021. As an interesting fact, he achieved at least one trophy each year between 2003 and 2012.

Trophies: With Chelsea, Mourinho won the Premier League and the Football League Cup thrice each. With Inter Milan, he achieved the Serie A title thrice and also held the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2010.

Under his guidance, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and La Liga and Supercopa de España in 2012. With Manchester United, he won the FA Community Shield in 2016, the UEFA Europa League, and the EFL Cup in 2017.

Jose Mourinho Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Benfica September 2000 to December 2000 11 6 3 2 54.5%
União de Leiria July 2001 to January 2002 20 9 7 4 45.0%
Porto January 2002 to June 2004 127 91 21 15 71.7%
Chelsea June 2004 to September 2007 185 124 40 21 67.0%
Inter Milan June 2008 to May 2010 108 67 26 15 62.0%
Real Madrid May 2010 to June 2013 178 128 28 22 71.9%
Chelsea June 2013 to December 2015 136 80 29 27 58.8%
Manchester United May 2016 to December 2018 144 84 32 28 58.3%
Tottenham Hotspur November 2019 to April 2021 86 44 19 23 51.2%
AS Roma July 2021 to Present N/A

Awards: Portuguese Football Federation named him the Portuguese Coach of the Century in 2015. He became the IFFHS World’s Best Club Coach four times and FIFA World Coach of the Year once. Mourinho became the Premier League Manager of the Year on three occasions.

Besides he also received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award in 2005. European Federation included him on their 10 greatest coaches of the UEFA era ranking. At the Onze d’Or ceremony in 2005, Mourinho received the Coach of the Year award.

2. Carlo Ancelotti – Greatest Football Manager In La Liga

Carlo Ancelotti Sucessful Managers

Widely noted for his time with Serie A club AC Milan, Carlo Ancelotti earns the second spot in our list of most successful football managers in the world. He managed several great clubs till now, which include Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG, and many more.

He won domestic titles in 4 out of Europe’s top 5 leagues. Ancelotti holds the record for winning the UEFA Champions League a record 4 times. After Zidane stepped down from his position, Ancelotti again took the managerial charge of Real Madrid in 2021.

Trophies: With Juventus, he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. With AC Milan, he achieved UEFA Champions League twice and Serie A and Coppa Italia once each. He also held the FIFA Club World Cup trophy with the Italian club in 2007.

With Chelsea, Ancelotti won the Premier League and FA Cup in the 2009-10 season. He then guided Real Madrid to win UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Super Cup in 2014. With Bayern Munich, he achieved the Bundesliga in 2017.

Carlo Ancelotti Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
Reggiana July 1995 to June 1996 41 17 14 10 41.46%
Parma July 1996 to June 1998 87 42 27 18 48.28%
Juventus February 1999 to June 2001 114 63 33 18 55.26%
AC Milan November 2001 to May 2009 423 238 101 84 56.26%
Chelsea July 2009 to May 2011 109 67 20 22 61.47%
Paris St. Germain December 2011 to June 2013 77 49 19 9 63.64%
Real Madrid June 2013 to May 2015 119 89 14 16 74.79%
Bayern Munich July 2016 to September 2017 60 42 9 9 70%
Napoli May 2018 to December 2019 73 38 19 16 52.1%
Everton December 2019 to June 2021 67 31 14 22 46.3%
Real Madrid June 2021 to Present N/A

Awards: He received the Serie A Coach of the Year award and Panchina d’Oro twice each. Ancelotti received the Best Coach of the Year award and Best Media Attraction in Football award at the Globe Soccer Awards in 2014.

Italian football board inducted him into their Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Besides, AC Milan and AS Roma also inducted him into their club hall of fame.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson – The Greatest Football Manager of All Time

Alex Ferguson Sucessful Managers

Legendary football manager Sir Alex Ferguson is widely noted for his stint with Manchester United. But he first came into prominence while managing the Scottish national team in 1985. After this, he joined Premier League side Manchester United in November 1986.

He managed the Red Devils’ first squad for 26 years and proved himself as the greatest and the best football manager of all time. Several great players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, grew up under his guidance.

Trophies: During his time at Old Trafford between 1986 and 2012, he won 38 domestic and international trophies. He guided the squad to hold the English Premier League title a record 13 times. The club also achieved 2 UEFA Champions League titles and 5 FA Cup titles under his guidance.

Ferguson also helped Manchester United to win 10 FA Community Shields and 4 League Cups. Besides, the Red Devils became the FIFA Club World Cup winner under his guidance in 2008.

Sir Alex Ferguson Managerial Records

Team Managing Period Match Wins Draw Loss Win Percentage
East Stirlingshire June 1974 to October 1974 17 9 2 6 52.9%
St Mirren October 1974 to May 1978 169 74 41 54 43.8%
Aberdeen FC June 1978 to November 1986 459 272 105 82 59.3%
Scotland October 1985 to  June 1986 10 3 4 3 30%
Manchester United November 1986 to May 2013 1500 895 338 267 59.7%

Awards: He received the knighthood at the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1999 for his contribution to Football. Ferguson won the Premier League Manager of the Month award a record 27 times and became the Premier League Manager of the Season 11 times.

IFFHS named him the World’s Best Coach of the 21st Century in 2012. BBC gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in 2001. Without any doubt, Alex Ferguson is definitely the greatest football manager of all time.

Most Successful Football Managers of All Time – Honorable Mentions

Several greatest football managers deserve honorable mentions on this list. Such as Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in his debut season, followed by a double in the next season. Vicente del Bosque also deserves his place on the list for his amazing stints with Real Madrid between 1994 and 2003.

Bayern Munich’s legendary manager Jupp Heynckes already proved himself as one of the best soccer managers of 2022, with 4 Bundesliga titles and 2 UEFA Champions League titles under his name. And who can forget Claudio Ranieri, who guided Leicester City to win the Premier League title in the 2015-16 season?

Final Words

The manager of a football team has the capability to make or break a team. He knows the strengths of the players. And he surely needs to use them to make up for the weaknesses of the players. The top 10 most successful football managers in history have managed to do exactly that. Let us know of your most memorable football memory during the tenure of these managers.

Most Successful Football Managers In History – 2024 Updated Table

Rank Manager Nationality Career Span Clubs
1 Sir Alex Ferguson Scottish June 1974 to May 2013 East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, Aberdeen FC, Scotland, Manchester United
2 Carlo Ancelotti Italian July 1995 to Present Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton
3 Jose Mourinho Portuguese September 2000 to Present Benfica, União de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma
4 Arsene Wenger French July 1984 to May 2018 Nancy, Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal
5 Pep Guardiola Spanish June 2007 to Present Barcelona B, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City
6 Giovanni Trapattoni Italian April 1974 to September 2013 A.C. Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Italy, Benfica, VfB Stuttgart, Red Bull Salzburg, Republic of Ireland, Vatican City
7 Antonio Conte Italian July 2006 to Present Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta, Siena, Juventus, Italy, Chelsea, Inter Milan
8 Manuel Pellegrini Chilean July 2004 to Present Universidad de Chile, Palestino, O’Higgins, Universidad Católica, LDU Quito, San Lorenzo, River Plate, Villarreal, Real Madrid, Málaga, Manchester City, Hebei China Fortune, West Ham United, Real Betis
9 Jürgen Klopp German February 2001 to Present Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool
10 Roberto Mancini Italian February 2001 to Present Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Galatasaray, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Italy National Football Team

Most Successful Football Managers – Infographics

Most Successful Football Managers - Infographics
Infographics: Most Successful Football Managers

FAQs Regarding Most Successful Football Managers

Q. Who is the most successful football manager ever?

The most successful managers are the Italians Giovanni Trapattoni and Carlo Ancelotti, and Alex Ferguson. These managers have won multiple titles in their careers, which made them the best and most successful managers in history.

Q. Which football manager has won the most games?

After taking charge of more matches than any other manager in English football, Neil Warnock now holds one of the sport’s most prestigious records. During Middlesbrough’s recent away match against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, the veteran manager reached a landmark total.

Q. Which manager has beaten Pep the most?

In terms of victories over Guardiola, Liverpool’s Klopp has nine, but Pep has beaten him on the same number of occasions. Still, Klopp is the one who beat Pep the most.

Q. Who is the longest-serving manager ever?

Guy Roux, who managed Auxerre over three separate reigns of 44 years, took them from France’s fifth division to being crowned Ligue 1 champions in 1995, and holds the record for the longest post-war reign (post-1946).

Last Updated On: March 2024
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