Spain

By Simon Baskett

NEUSTIFT, Austria, June 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Luis Aragones has dismissed suggestions that he might stay on as national team coach if his team won Euro 2008.

"I would like to thank everyone for the compliments," he told a news conference at Spain's training base in Neustift on Monday.

"But the Federation and all of you know that this (his period as coach) will come to an end whatever happens at this tournament."

Aragones, who will turn 70 in July, saw his side become the first Spanish team to make the semi-finals of a major tournament in 24 years after they clinched a penalty shoot-out victory over world champions Italy on Sunday.

The shootout victory over Italy came after a run of nine consecutive wins, while they are unbeaten in 20.

"All I can say is that I'm proud of the results and proud that the hard work has paid off," he said.

"We have created a great group with a great atmosphere. But I'm not going to get involved in whether they should offer me another contract or not. It is over and that is it."

PAST RECORD

Spanish media have reported that Aragones is close to reaching an agreement to take charge of Turkish club Fenerbahce next season, but Aragones said last week that he knew nothing of the deal.

Asked about his feelings after watching Spain break their curse of regularly failing to get beyond the quarter-finals at major tournaments, Aragones replied:

"Our reputation was a little handicap but this group of players has only ever thought about the positive and not worried about our past record."

He added that he had not found the penalty shootout against Italy too much of an ordeal.

"I looked on with a lot of interest, but I don't get too emotional about these things," he said. "When we lose I don't get too down and when we win I don't let it go to my head. After all it is only football."

Aragones said King Juan Carlos of Spain had come down to the changing rooms to congratulate him and the players on their victory but that the message that had touched him most had been from one of his grandchildren.

"I've got 11 grandchildren and although you love them all equally there is always one that pulls on your heart strings and it was the message from that one that moved me most," he said. (Editing by Jon Bramley)