Spain’s World Cup winning coach Vicente Del Bosque has said he will step down after Euro 2016.
Del Bosque won the World Cup and Euro 2012 in his first four years in charge of La Roja but failed miserably in the defence of Spain’s global title in Brazil earlier this year.
The champions crashed out of the World Cup group stages after losing to both the Netherlands and Chile.
Del Bosque came under fire and many people expected him to quit, but he decided to see out the rest of his contract, which runs out in two years.
And speaking to sports daily As he suggested that he will move aside when that contract is up.
“In life you can never be sure of anything but yes, that’s my intention: to continue until 2016 in France and then to leave,” said the 63-year-old former Real Madrid boss.
“The (Spanish) federation needs to prepare a gentle transition (to his successor) but I will stay close to football and the federation.”
Del Bosque made his name as a coach during his four-year stint at Real from 1999-2003, in which he won two Champions League crowns as well as La Liga twice.
After an unsuccessful season in charge of Besiktas in Turkey, he replaced Luis Aragones as national team coach following Spain’s victory at Euro 2008.
He helped establish Spain as the uncontested number one team in the world as they won three straight tournaments, adding the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 to the success under Aragones.
But that run of almost unbridled success came to a shuddering halt as Spain lost 5-1 to Holland and then went down 2-0 to Chile in Brazil.