Proud Aragonés ready to walk away

Luis Aragonés made it clear on Monday that, despite Spain reaching their first semi-final since 1984, he will not be persuaded to extend his contract as national coach.

Firm intention
Aragonés, 69, announced before UEFA EURO 2008™ that he will not sign a new deal to replace the one expiring this summer. Widely linked with a club coaching return, Aragonés has admitted he still intends to work. But amid immense praise for the quarter-final defeat of Italy and for a record run of victories stretching to ten – part of an unbeaten spell dating back to 2006 – there have been media calls for the veteran tactician to stay on. However, as Spain prepare to face Russia in Vienna on Thursday, Aragonés underlined his intentions.

Announcement
"I'm proud that my work is being viewed in a positive light and still more proud that I'm going to be able to leave behind a really good group of players," he said. "But I told the [Spanish Football] Federation and announced to all of you in the media that I'm leaving, no matter how this tournament finishes. So I'd like to put on record my thanks to those who supported me, sometimes when it was difficult to do so. But even the critics have been good for me. So thanks too to the people who didn't give their support – their attitudes made me reflect and think even more about my choices and decisions. For any man, in any walk of life, that's important."

New attitude
Spain were last in a semi-final in France '84, and Aragonés believes his great legacy may be two fundamental changes in attitude at the top of Spanish football. "I think it was a little handicap that we always had to talk about our ceiling being the quarter-final," he said. "Perhaps that was doing us a little bit of damage. But what we took from the [FIFA] World Cup defeat by France two years ago was that you mustn't play better than a team and then lose to them. I've taught them that if you can't win a match, at least don't lose it. If you've got a goalkeeper like Iker Casillas, who's been fundamental to my work with Spain, then you've always got a chance." Aragonés categorises the Real Madrid CF player as: "Ten out of ten in every aspect – as a goalkeeper, as a captain and as a man."

Royal audience
The coach enjoyed the emotion of Sunday night, with the dressing-room visit of King Juan Carlos prompting Aragonés to revive an old joke between the pair. "He gave me the Gold Medal for Sport some years ago and I joked then that a wage rise might be more appropriate. When I mentioned it again on Sunday, the King said we were doing fine but the wages were staying the same." A call from one of his grandchildren did, however, bring a lump to his throat. "And I'm not the type to get emotional, or to be nervous and not watch the penalties," Aragonés added. "I watched every one because I just knew our boys would win."