Jun 30, 2008, 12:38 GMT
Vienna - Spain's players showed what they thought of their coach when they gathered round Luis Aragones and threw him up into the air minutes after the final whistle in Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.
It was an emotional moment for the oldest coach in Euro 2008 after his side had won Spain's first major trophy for 44 years by beating Germany 1-0.
Aragones now leaves Spain after four years in the post to take up a job in club management but the Spanish federation may wish they had done more to persuade the blunt-talking coach to stay, especially if they listen to the words of goalscorer Fernando Torres.
'Luis is like one of the players for us and also a father figure,' said the Liverpool striker.
'He's maybe the most important thing in our set-up because he has a lot of confidence in the group. We are so happy that on his last game he gets to down in Spanish footballing history.'
Aragones was more modest about the part he has played in ending Spain's long wait for a major trophy.
'I always said that if you manage this group of players well, they would be champions,' he said.
'The players know how much I believed in them and how much they believed in themselves. I think we have an extraordinarily good team.'
On the eve of the match, Aragones had shown his determination to win the title.
'Nobody remembers the guy that comes second,' he said.
'Sometimes people speak of those that are nearly there. To be nearly the champions is not enough. A final - you've to win it because the ones that come second have nothing.'
Now Spain has a team for the history books after Aragones his country to a first title since the European Championships in 1964.
'I am very happy for the whole of Spain. It is a milestone in Spanish football,' he said.
The triumph was richly deserved after his team's march into the final had already silenced his many critics back home, and then proved to have too much class for Germany.
Now former Real Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque is being tipped to lead Spain to the 2010 World Cup.
Aragones, who has been reportedly lined up to coach Turkish side Fenerbahce, had said before the game he was stepping down 'because nothing has been done for me to stay.'
'Nobody asked me anything, so I decided I will be going, and that's it, and now there is no way back. I have nothing to explain. It is very simple,' he said.
'I have had four years defending my country. To stop defending my country will bring some feelings of nostalgia, perhaps, but I will continue to work in football because I consider I have to work.'
For Aragones, who turns 70 next month, Sunday's title win is the highlight of a career which has included spells at clubs including Barcelona, Valencia and the club he spent 10 years as a player, Altetico Madrid (where he had four different stints as coach).
He won the Spanish league, the cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the Spanish Super Cup before becoming Spanish coach in 2004.
The latest title is vindication for the coach who has had a rocky relationship with Spanish fans and media, though he says this has inspired him.
'There have been times when I was heavily criticized. This criticism has stimulated me, it inspired me to do things better.'
Aragones faced a backlash in Madrid after dropping the Real striker Raul Gonzalez and sticking to his guns by leaving Spain's record goalscorer out of his Euro squad.
Known for his blunt speaking, the sometimes hot-tempered coach was also in trouble over the use of racist remark about France striker Thierry Henry, but all will be forgiven now.
Although in an age in which most other people are quietly enjoying retired life, Aragones has lost none of his own passion for the game.
Fenerbahce beckons despite the calls even before Sunday's win for him to stay on as Spain coach.
'I am honoured that my work is being valued, but my decision to leave was made before the tournament started. It is final,' he said.
Aragones is a paternal figure with the squad who demands the best, and - as Raul discovered - is not afraid of upsetting big names or reputations.
He had annoyed Fernando Torres by taking him off in Spain's 4-1 victory over Russia in their opening Group D game. The striker had shown his displeasure, but the coach played down the incident.
He also took Torres off on Sunday, but there were no complaints this time: Torres had already rewarded Aragones and Spain with the winning goal against Germany.
His final request as Spain coach was that his successor not go through the same trials that he has had to endure.
'Please treat the manager that follows me as well as possible so that they can do their job,' he said.
'I have had the mental strength to deal with everything that was thrown at me. He may not.'
View blog reactions
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)