Former Spain coach Luis Aragones dies at 75

The Euro 2008-winning manager died early Saturday, Spain's football association announced. He was 75.

Luis Aragones managed Spain to a victory at the 2008 European Championships. Joao Abreu Miranda / EPA

Luis Aragones, who died on Saturday at age 75 after suffering from a serious illness, was a hugely popular Spanish football coach who led his country to their first trophy in 44 years. He was in charge of Spain from 2004-2008, the high point being the 2008 European Championship win.

After a long life in football, he announced his retirement two months ago.

With Spain, Aragones was blessed with great players, but that was nothing new for a country who were known for failing in international tournaments. Aragones, a former player with Getafe, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis, helped change their mentality.

Before the 2006 World Cup, he said that he had had enough of the excuses for which Spain specialised.

“We’ve got to banish the excuse mentality,” said the controversial septuagenarian. “I’ve never liked alibis that don’t justify anything.”

Spain were unbeaten for two years under his charge, but after a second-round defeat and elimination to France at the 2006 World Cup, Aragones dropped big stars Raul and Michel Salgado. He then introduced a new style to the national side based on Barcelona’s passing game, which had led the Catalans to win the 2006 Uefa Champions League.

Aragones stepped aside after the 2008 European Championship success in Vienna, Austria, with Spain the No 1-ranked team in the world. His work would lay the foundations for subsequent triumphs in the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 finals.

Though more widely known as a coach, he was a top-class footballer. He scored an extra-time goal in the 1974 European Cup final which was about to make Atletico Madrid European champions. Then opponents Bayern Munich equalised in the 120th minute and won the replay 4-0.

Bayern did not play in the subsequent Intercontinental Cup so Atletico, then managed by Aragones, did. They won.

Atletico was the club where he shone, as a striker he scored 172 goals in 372 games for the club where he won three league titles and one Pichichi top scorers’ award. He was known as “Zapatones” – big boots – because his free kicks were so strong.

He coached Atletico in four different spells, starting in 1974. In that first six-year spell, he also led them to the 1977 league title. He also coached at Barcelona, Betis, Espanyol, Sevilla, Valencia, Oviedo, Mallorca and, finally, at Fenerbahce, his only job outside Spain, for the 2008/09 season.

Aragones was seen as controversial outside Iberia. In 2004, he made negative headlines for motivating Jose Antonio Reyes by making an offensive reference to Thierry Henry. Aragones was fined €3,000 (Dh14,863) by Uefa but denied that he was racist. Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroon striker who played under him at Mallorca, adored him.

The Spanish Football Federation yesterday issued a statement that “expressed its grief and shock at the death of Luis Aragones”.

“Luis Aragones was a very important figure for Spanish football,” said the Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancellotti. “He was a very important figure in football, in general.”

Atletico said: “One of the greatest Rojiblancos legends has left us”.

Club president Enrique Cerezo added: “Luis Aragones was a great player and coach, but above all he was a great person and friend.”