Spain boss Vicente del Bosque says he would have won more trophies with Real Madrid had the club renewed his contract.
Del Bosque spent four seasons in charge of the Santiago Bernabeu side – between 1999 and 2003 – but the club decided not to renew his deal at the end of the 2002-03 campaign.
During his period in charge, he led Los Blancos to two Champions League trophies and two La Liga successes. He also guided the team to victory in the UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Supercopa.
Blessed with a hugely talented squad that included the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Luis Figo, del Bosque told Telediario that he is sure he could have had more success in Europe if he’d been allowed to stay on.
“It is very difficult to win the Champions League. We had a lot of luck and some very good players in a favourable period for the club. Without being vain or arrogant, if I had continued I believe we would have won more European cups,” he commented.
Del Bosque has since gone on to become one of Spain’s most successful national team bosses having masterminded the World Cup success in 2010 – La Roja’s first ever world cup win – and the European Championship in 2012.