Guardiola: Del Bosque perfect for Spain

Pep Guardiola says there is no one better qualified than Vicente Del Bosque to manage Spain after praising his achievements with the national side.

Ahead of Euro 2008, Spain had not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of any major competition since ending the 1984 edition of the same tournament as runners-up.

Luis Aragones led the nation to the trophy in Austria and Switzerland, before Del Bosque took the reins and oversaw a successful defence of the title after triumphing at the World Cup in 2010.

Although Spain were unable to retain that trophy in Brazil last year after exiting at the group stage, Guardiola is certain the 64-year-old remains the right man for the job.

"We managed to break the mythical quarter-final barrier that earlier generations could not pass," Guardiola said to the Spanish team's official website.

"This generation helped Spanish football take a leap forward, something that all of us have to thank them for.

"There is no one better than Vicente to lead the team. They will remain at the highest level."

Spain will qualify for Euro 2016 if they defeat Luxembourg in their penultimate qualifying match on Friday.