Aragones caught up in race row

Spain coach Luis Aragones has denied making racist comments about Thierry Henry.

Aragones has been caught on Spanish television shouting at Henry's Arsenal team-mate Jose Antonio Reyes during a training session with the reports claiming he made racist remarks about Henry.

The 66-year-old has moved to play down the incident suggesting he did not make any racist comments and that he was only trying to motivate Reyes ahead of this weekend's World Cup qualifier with Belgium.

"I am a citizen of the world," Aragones told Radio Marca.

"Some of my best friends are black, including those I had from childhood. The fact that I made a joke in order to motivate a player has nothing to do with being racist. I'm not a racist."

Reyes backed his manager claiming he was only sharing a joke with Aragones.

"He was just having a bit of a laugh and it was nothing important," said Reyes.

"It was a moment's relaxation during a hard day of training. These are things that should be left on the training ground. Luis and myself know who we were talking about and there was nothing more to it."