MADRID: Joaquin Caparros, a 60-year-old with no national team experience as player or coach, is favourite to succeed Vicente Del Bosque who has quit Spain after the holders’ ousting from Euro 2016 by Italy writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Del Bosque confirmed his departure on the Spanish party’s return home after the 2-0 defeat in the Stade de France on Monday.

He had offered to quit after the World Cup dethroning in Brazil two years ago and had been persuaded to stay on by federation president Angel Maria Villar. This time they were unanimous in agreeing that the time had come for a new start.

Del Bosque, a 65-year-old former international midfielder, succeeded Luis Aragones after the European success in 2008, repeated it in 2012 and added Spain’s first World Cup inbetween.

Previously he guided Real Madrid to He led Real to the Club World Cup, two UEFA Champions Leagues, one European Supercup and two Spanish league titles.

He said: “No matter what the result of the Euros, I had no doubt about what my future would be.”

Initial victories

Spain won their opening Euro 2016 games against the Czech Republic and Turkey before a defeat by Croatia meant they finished as Group D runners-up, leading to the fateful second-round clash with Italy.

Caparros, 60, coached Sevilla from 2000-05 – bringing through the likes of Sergio Ramos and Jose Antonio Reyes – Deportivo de La Coruna until 2007 and subsequently Athletic Bilbao until 2011. His last post was at Granada who sacked him midway through the 2014-15 campaign.

As manager of Spain he would come under the pressure of instant expectation since the European qualfiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia kick off in early September.

His only international coaching experience was a five-match spell in Switzerland in 2011 when he fell out with the club owner after just a month.

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