Aragones tips Spain, Brazil as W.Cup favourites

European champions Spain are convinced they can win the World Cup this time around and are the favourites along with Brazil, says former Spain coach Luis Aragones.

“The World Cup is not the fairest competition but the big favourites are those two teams,” he told Spanish public radio RNE.

Aragones claimed the Spanish were “psychologically” more confident since he led them to their Euro 2008 victory, the squad’s first major title in over four decades, and are “convinced they can win” the 2010 World Cup.

Spain climbed back to the top of the FIFA world rankings last month displacing Brazil who had led since July following exhibition wins over fellow World Cup qualifier Argentina and Austria.

They booked their place in South Africa with two matches to spare and went on to win all 10 qualifiers.

Spain have never won a World Cup before. They were favourites in 2006 but were eliminated by France in the second round.

Aragones, 71, took over shortly after Euro 2004 and was replaced by former Real Madrid midfielder Vicente del Bosque after leading Spain to victory at the 2008 European championships.

“Nobody told me to stay on and I had said I was not going to stay, and besides the spanish Football Federation had already spoken to Vicente del Bosque,” he said.

Aragones is currently unemployed after spending a year coaching Turkish side Fenerbahce. He said he was willing to coach a new club but not in Spain.