Luis and Juan Carlos are buddies

If Spanish coach Luis Aragones greeted King Juan Carlos like an old friend following his team's quarter-final shootout success over Italy that's because that's just what they are, reporters Tuesday quoted him as saying.

Explained Aragones: “I already knew him. I have even gone out to eat with him sometimes along with (Real Madrid's legendary striker Alfredo) di Stefano.”

Aragones is set to quit the national team after the championships for Turkish first division side Fenerbahce to replace former Brazil international Zico, who wanted a salary increase beyond his reported current 1.9 million euros.

And Aragones revealed that he had once even broached financial matters with the monarch.

“Once he (the king) pinned the gold medal for sport on me and I said: 'Your majesty, wouldn't it be better if they paid us a bit more every month?'”