European champions Spain name Del Bosque as new coach

AFP - 15 July 2008 22:35

Former Real Madrid boss Vicente del Bosque, seen here in 2001, was on Tuesday named as the new coach of the Spanish national team to replace Luis Aragones who led them to Euro 2008 glory last month.

MADRID (AFP) - Former Real Madrid boss Vicente del Bosque was on Tuesday named as the new coach of the Spanish national team to replace Luis Aragones who masterminded the successful Euro 2008 campaign last month.

"The president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) Angel Maria Villar proposed the nomination of Del Bosque to the executive committee which was accepted," said a RFEF spokesman.

"He will be presented on Thursday at 1315 (1115 GMT)."

The 57-year-old Del Bosque will take charge of his first match on August 20 when Spain face Austria in a friendly international in Copenhagen.

His first competitive game will be a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Bosnia in Murcia on September 6.

The 69-year-old Aragones was not offered a new deal with Spain despite delivering a first title for the soccer-mad nation since 1964 with victory over Germany in the Euro 2008 final.

He has since signed a two-year contract to coach Turkish club Fenerbahce although he has also been linked with the vacancy at Valencia.

Del Bosque coached Real Madrid to two Spanish titles as well as a Champions League double before enjoying more modest spells at Besiktas in Turkey from 2004-2005 and as sporting director with Spanish second division side Cadiz last season.

He played as a midfielder with Real from 1973-1984, winning five championships (1975, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1980) and four Spanish Cups (1974, 1975, 1980 and 1982).

Del Bosque then started his coaching career with the Real Madrid B team in 1987.

After two short spells in charge of the first team in 1993-1994 and 1995-1996, he took charge on a full-time basis in 1999.

Despite his two league titles (2001 and 2003) and two European crowns (2000 and 2002), his contract was not renewed by controversial president Florentino Perez who believed a Real coach should match the charisma of the so-called "galacticos" of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

In April 2005, Del Bosque insisted he would never be tempted to return to Real declaring himself a "man of principle".

"The way the club announced my departure to the press was very hurtful," he added.