Basile To Take Argentina Job

After a bit of wrangling, the path is clear for Alfio Basile to take the Argentina job. Boca Juniors had been kicking up a stink about needing time to replace their man, so an agreement has been reached for Basile to stay with the club until September 15th (suppose it’s a bit like working your notice in a regular job). After that, he’s the new “director técnico” of the national team.

And he’ll have plenty of talent to direct, inheriting the squad that was so impressive this summer until José Pekerman inexplicably retreated into his defensive shell like a frightened turtle. With Leo Messi ready to take that final step into super-stardom and Sergio Agüero not far behind, Basile has won international football’s managerial lottery.

It will be Basile’s second stint in charge. First time round he won the 1991 and 1993 Copa Américas, and his team was looking good at USA ‘94 until Maradona gave that camera the crazy-cocaine-eyes close-up. With a reputation for attacking football (played at a tempo nearly as high as Maradona) Argentina should be a joy to watch for the next few years. The new Brazil?