Alfio Basile

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Alfio Rubén Basile (born November 1, 1943 in Bahía Blanca), known as Coco, is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player. Starting September 2006, he is the coach of the Argentina national football team, having replaced José Pekerman.

Basile started playing in the small Bella Vista club from his home city. Then he played from 1964 to 1970 for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a staple of the 1973 Metropolitano champions under coach Cesar Luis Menotti. He also played for the Argentina national football team. Basile retired from active play in 1975.

After retirement, Basile coached a number of Argentine teams, most notably Rosario Central, Racing Club, Huracán and Vélez Sársfield and then Uruguayan Nacional, and Spanish Atlético Madrid.

His career as a coach reached its first peak in the early 1990s, when he led the Argentine national football team to two Copa America victories. The run-up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup looked smooth until a 5-0 defeat at home to Colombia. Following that traumatic event, Diego Maradona was brought back from retirement to play a play-off against Australia.

In the World Cup itself, Argentina opened with two stunning victories over Greece and Nigeria. Maradona was tested for doping after the Nigeria match, and was suspended after ephedrine was found in his sample. Argentina was swiftly eliminated after losing its round-of-16 match against Romania.

Basile went on to coach San Lorenzo de Almagro, Club América of México and Colón de Santa Fe with varying success. In July 2005 he assumed the post of coach at Argentine Boca Juniors to obtain, only a month later, the Recopa Sudamericana 2005. He then obtained his first Argentine league title in the 2005 Apertura tournament. Four days later, Boca won the Copa Sudamericana 2005 against UNAM Pumas of Mexico.

In July 2006, he was offered again the Argentina national football team coach position and accepted it. Basile remained in Boca Juniors until September 14th 2006, date in which he won his second consecutive Recopa Sudamericana 2006 against São Paulo FC of Brazil.

Preceded by Carlos Bilardo	Argentine national football team manager 1990-1994	Succeeded by Daniel Passarella
Preceded by José Pekerman	Argentine national football team manager 2006-	Succeeded by incumbent

Preceded by Luis Alberto Cubilla

South American Coach of the Year 1991

Succeeded by Tele Santana

	Argentina squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup
1 Goycochea | 2 Vázquez | 3 Chamot | 4 Sensini | 5 Redondo | 6 Ruggeri | 7 Caniggia | 8 Basualdo | 9 Batistuta | 10 Maradona | 11 Medina Bello | 12 Islas | 13 Cáceres | 14 Simeone | 15 Borelli | 16 Díaz | 17 Ortega | 18 Pérez | 19 Balbo | 20 Rodríguez | 21 Mancuso | 22 Scoponi | Coach: Basile