Chau Pekerman, Hola Basile

Pekerman has deffinately left the coach seat, and has been replaced by Alfio Basile.

Here’s a little extract from wiki.com:

Alfio Rubén Basile (born November 1, 1943 in Bahía Blanca), also known as El Coco, is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player.

El Coco Basile started playing in the small Bella Vista club from his home city. Then played from 1964 to 1970 for Racing Club, and for Huracán until 1975.

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

But his career as a coach peaked 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.

Here is a clip of Diego in the 1994 World Cup training session -

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, Mexican América 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 he obtained his first Argentine league title in the 2005 Apertura tournament. Four days later, Boca won Copa Sudamericana 2005 against UNAM Pumas of Mexico.

In July 2006, he was offered again the Argentinan National Football Team coach position.

Alfio Basile current coach of Boca Juniors will in return probably be replaced by Ricardo De Lavolpe, the Mexican Coach who has also resigned after the defeat against Argentina in the World Cup :p

I must say, personally I wouldn’t have picked Alfio Basile, but what can you do.. nothing. We will have to see and hope for the best.