Former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque insists their World Cup wasn't a disaster.

The ex-Real Madrid coach has tried to cool down the unease that surrounds the selection after the penalty shootout defeat against Russia.

"You cannot say that Spain have made a great tournament, but it wasn't as bad as we think," he said during the presentation of the 'Plan Merienda' - an initiative that tries to get children to eat more fruit.

"There have been good things and we shouldn't be cruel.

"I heard that we have made a fool of ourselves and those are too strong words.

"We have had a disappointment, it is true, but from there to making a fool of ourselves..."

Del Bosque went on to comment on the controversy surrounding the Spain coach after and before the tournament.

"Fernando Hierro has been judged with too much cruelty, as he has only directed four games and has done an extraordinary job for the federation," he added.

"Surely at some point we have made a mistake, but in the first match against Portugal we played excellently and in the last game against Russia we dominated the whole match."