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Jose Antonio Camacho's decision to fall on his sword was probably inevitable the moment Korean captain Hong Myung-Bo's penalty shoot-out winner sent Spain spinning out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals.

A realist, Camacho had declared months earlier that the Spanish national team belongs to all his fellow countrymen and women.

"And if we do not play a dignified role in the World Cup finals, I will leave," he vowed.

And he made true his word, offering his resignation to the Spanish FA at a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday, where it was accepted.

He left that meeting without comment and today the Spanish FA announced his departure.

Camacho said: "Even though I had an option to renew my contract, I am 47 years old and I don't want to wait two years for the European Championships and another four years for the World Cup."

Spanish FA [RFEF] president Angel Maria Villar said: "Yesterday, Camacho had a meeting with the general secretary [Geraldo Gonzalez] and explained his decision to leave the national team. We would have liked him to have stayed.

"I want to thank him for the work he has done. I was very sad to hear of his decision."

Of Camacho's successor, Villar added: "We want a Spanish coach to take over."

Despite suffering what was almost universally seen as an undeserved early exit from the World Cup, the reality must have been unbearable to a man intolerant of failure.

With so many of the fancied sides falling prematurely by the wayside, hopes had soared in football-crazy Spain that Camacho's outfit would at last lay to rest failure's persistent ghost and claim a first World Cup.

The early signs were encouraging. Three first round victories - achieved with aplomb and nine goals - followed by a penalty shoot-out victory over the Republic of Ireland in the second round.

But all too soon the optimism evaporated, leaving only despair as Spain tumbled out to the fanatically-supported co-hosts on penalties at Gwangju.

As it was, the match was clouded in controversy with the Spanish and many in a multi-million global television audience convinced they had been robbed of a rightful semi-final berth when the referee disallowed what appeared to be two perfectly legitimate goals.

The Spanish FA had offered Camacho a contract until the end of Euro 2004 in Portugal, but he had staked his coaching future on Spain's World Cup fortunes.

And Camacho has always been admired as a man of his word.

As a defender with Real Madrid, 'Macho' Camacho was celebrated as a man who neither asked for favours nor expected any.

He was a winner, with the medals to prove it, and he was determined to repeat the success of his playing days when he took over the reins of international football's great underachievers.

Having fought back from a career-threatening knee injury, Camacho went on to make 400 Primera Liga appearances in a 16-year career with Real.

In that time, he helped the club win nine league titles, five Copa del Reys and two UEFA Cups.

He also earned 81 caps for Spain - at the time a national record - and played in two World Cups before retiring in 1989.

His coaching CV also makes impressive reading. He coached both Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol to promotion and took the Barcelona club into the UEFA Cup.

But the greatest challenge of his sporting career was just too formidable.

Only once in World Cup history have Spain featured in the last four - way back in 1950 - and they have advanced beyond the second round only twice in the last six tournaments.

At France 98, Spain suffered the indignity of failing to qualify from an opening group that included relative lightweights Bulgaria, Paraguay and Nigeria.

Camacho, who reportedly turned down an offer to coach Fiorentina before the last European Championships in Holland and Belgium, made a promising start to his reign.

He replaced the much-maligned Javier Clemente following Spain's shock 3-2 defeat to Cyprus in the opening qualifying match for Euro 2000.

In the remaining seven matches, Spain scooped up maximum points - scoring 40 goals and conceding just two.

They included a stunning 9-0 demolition of Austria while Cyprus were dispatched 8-0.

Suddenly, the Murcia-born coach was being hailed by the Spanish media as a messiah.

But reality soon swamped the optimists as Spain succumbed to eventual finalists Italy in the quarter-finals.

Before leaving for the Far East for his World Cup coaching baptism, Camacho made an observation that has been shown to be wholly prophetic.

"The problem is the press paint you as possible champions and then you return home as a failure," he said.