Former Spain manager Luis Aragones passes away aged 75

Luis Aragones dies, aged 75.

Former Spain manager Luis Aragones has passed away, aged 75, early on Saturday morning in a clinic in Madrid.

Aragones was admitted into an hospital after being taken ill and passed away at approximately 06:00 CET on Saturday, Dr Pedro Guillen confirmed on Radio Nacional.

His career as a player earned him the nickname Zapatones, which meant ‘Big Boots’ in Spanish as he was known as a free kick specialist. A regular goalscorer, he shared his Pichichi (Spanish Top Goal-Scorer Award) with his fellow Atlético Madrid forward José Eulogio Gárate and Amancio in 1970.

He was appointed as Atlético coach for the first time in 1974 after he hung up his boots. Nicknamed ‘El Sabio de Hortaleza’ (The Wise Man from Hortaleza), Aragones had coached eight La Liga clubs including Atletico Madrid and Barcelona and took over the Spanish national football team whom he led to their second European Championship title back in 2008. He also won the Don Balón Award for best coach in La Liga back in 1977.

Aragones is often touted as the man who kick-started Spain’s flurry of success who took the most underachieving footballing nation and set it on track to achieve its potential.