Former soccer player and former coach Alfio ‘Coco’ Basile, winner of the Copa América in 1991 and 1993 as Argentina coach, was admitted for pneumonia after contracting coronavirus, but is breathing “by his own means,” according to medical sources reported this Thursday.
Basile, 77, and former Atlético de Madrid coach (1995), suffers from bilateral pneumonia caused by coronavirus but has a “controlled fever” and is “breathing on his own,” they said.
The Argentine Football Association, several local clubs and even Conmebol, through the official account of the Copa América, wished Basile a speedy recovery through social networks in the last hours.
In March 2017, the former Copa Libertadores and world champion footballer with Racing Club suffered a stroke for which he had to be admitted.
Basile led the Albiceleste in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
With Argentina, ‘el Coco’ won three titles: the Copa América in 1991 and 1993, and the Copa Rey Fahd (later known as the Confederations Cup) in 1992.
In addition, he was runner-up in the 2007 Copa América.
He also won five titles as Boca Juniors coach, one with the Racing Club and the other with América de México.
As a player, he was champion of the local tournament with Racing in 1966 and the following year he won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup (predecessor of the Club World Cup) with the Academy.
In 1973 he joined the mythical team of Huracán that won the Argentine tournament with César Luis Menotti as coach.
As a footballer, he only played for Racing Club and Huracán, but as a coach he played around fifteen teams, including the Uruguayan National (1992), Atlético de Madrid (1995) and América de México (2000-2001). ).
With Racing Club he won the 1998 South American Super Cup, the 2001 Concacaf Giants Cup with America and the 2005 and 2006 Argentine Leagues with Boca Juniors, the 2005 South American Recopa, the 2006 South American Cup and the Recopa South American 2006.
Basile is the last coach to win a title with the Argentine national team, the 1993 Copa América in Ecuador.