PARIS, June 30: Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque cuts to many people’s eyes a lugubrious presence on the touchline but former Spanish and Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes says that there is much more to him than that.

The 61-year-old can make history on Sunday by becoming the first coach to win a European Championship, World Cup and a Champions League title if Spain beat Italy in Kiev.

Morientes, scorer of 27 goals in 47 appearances for Spain from 1998 to 2007, was in the Real Madrid side that Del Bosque steered to two Champions League titles in 2000 and 2002.

He told France’s L’Equipe newspaper that it is Del Bosque’s intelligence that sets him apart from a lot of other coaches.

“A great coach for me must first be an intelligent man and if there is an intelligent man in Spanish football it is for sure Del Bosque,” he was quoted as saying.

“Because he is not so vain that he will say: ‘They won a title playing this way with this guy, now they are going to win titles by playing my way’.

“Del Bosque is a superb technician who has continued to take the team forward in small steps while still respecting each individual player’s character down to the last.”

Morientes, who went on to play for Monaco and inspired them to a surprise appearance in the 2004 Champions League beating Real Madrid along the way, said Del Bosque has a human touch.

As a result, he was able to maintain a harmonious changing room, even when top class players were being left on the sidelines.

“What you don’t see, and which stays in the changing room, is his ability to explain face-to-face with each player the reason for his choice,” said the 36-year-old. “He has this gift, to choose the right words to reassure all the players. There lies the difference between a good coach and a great one.”—AFP