Vicente del Bosque said on Friday that he will step down as manager of world and European champions Spain after the 2014 World Cup.
Angel Villar, president of the Spanish football federation, had been hoping that del Bosque would continue until 2016 but the taciturn coach ended those hopes on Friday.
“My last responsibility as national manager will be at the World Cup in Brazil,” he said. “Afterwards, maybe I might continue to work for the federation in some representative capacity, but not as national manager.”
Del Bosque took over from Luis Aragones just after Spain had won Euro 2008. He guided La Roja to their first-ever World Cup triumph, in 2010, then to success at Euro 2012.
