According to ABC.es, coach Luis Aragones passed away today, February 1, 2014, aged 75 after a short illness. The Spaniard had a long successful history as a soccer player from 1957 to 1974, where his best days were spent at Atletico Madrid scoring more than 170 goals. However, he will also be remembered for his long career as a coach, in which his most noteworthy spell was under the Spanish national team from 2004 to 2008.
Luis Aragones played in eight teams before joining Atletico Madrid in 1964. There, the striker became a legend which lead to immediately coaching the ‘Colchoneros’ shortly after his retirement. Atletico Madrid was the first team he commanded, and in fact, he lead that team four times, most recently in 2003.
Throughout his long coaching career, Aragones coached in ten clubs, and also the Spanish national team. On a domestic league level, the Spaniard won 5 titles as a player (league and cups), and 9 as a coach (league and cups).
On the international level, he is most notorious to beginning the process of leading Spain to the soccer potency it is today. In 2008 Aragones lead Spain to winning the UEFA Euro 2008 competition. However, shortly after winning that prestigious competition, he resigned as coach. Nonetheless, his success with La Furia Roja marked the beginning of a powerful era in Spanish soccer which still reigns today.
