The veteran coach persistently revealed his exit plans before the competition, and has eventually stepped down after leading La Furia Roja to their first title in 44 years.

However, Aragones has vehemently denied claims that he quit the European champions due to his own will.

"I don’t accept those that say I wanted to leave. I admit I said everyone had a sell by date because there was no reaction from them," the 69-year-old told Marca.

"The Federation did not want me as coach. If they had wanted me they wouldn’t have spoken to another while I was still working."

Former Real Madrid boss Vicente Del Bosque was approached by RFEF during the Austria and Switzerland finals and is set to lead Spain in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

On the other hand, Aragones is likely to take charge of Turkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce in the near future.