The sky seems to be falling in Argentina as Diego Maradona has bullets coming from all directions.  His controversial callup as well as battles with the domestic press and with certain individuals in Argentine football (starting with his boss, Julio Grondona) as well documented.

Carlos Héctor Dibos was the strength and conditioning coach for Alfio Basile when he was at Boca as well as with the national team.  He had an open letter published in Argentine sports daily Olé after current national team assistant Alejandro Mancuso said that Dibos asked him for work because Basile was "old".

Dibos would defend himself in this letter and bring his side of the story.   It is also a way to expose what Mancuso is saying and the intentions behind his comments.

This is the latest ingredient in the non-stop peripheral drama going on with the Albiceleste.   This all began when Alfio Basile's son, Alfio, Jr., talked about current coach Diego Maradona.

Since then the trash talking and mud slinging has been incessant from both camps.

Here is the latest...

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Buenos Aires- 12 May 2010

 To start, I appreciate the possibilty given to clear the air regarding certain issues that became public in the past few days. 

I think that in any discussion or debate, there must always be a sense of respect and courtesy. 

I honestly have no idea who Alejandro Mancuso answered.  As you all well know, I did not say anything to slander or put on trial a person's honesty.  The only thing that happened was that a journalist called me to ask me if I heard what Alfio Basile, Jr. had said. I answered "no"and he offered to play it for me so I cold hear it. He then asked me what I thought and I answered by saying that that comment is common knowledge; whether they were involved or not in football.  So my opinion was that this was something that everyone knew.  I also asked the journalist if he knew him.  He then said, that every media outlet knew about it.  This does not mean that I said it was true or not.  Everyone can come to their own conclusions based on their way of thinking and their life experiences. 

In order to make a comment of that severity you have to have some evidence. So Alejandro Mancuso will have to present this evidence regarding his comments.  They only had one objective: to hurt, to disrespect, and to lie. 

I know Alejandro Mancuso since 2000, we saw each other several times when he was working in an office over in Puerto Madero as an agent and I never had probles with him. On the contrary we always had a good relationship.  So if he misunderstood something, I would have appreciated that he come to my house; the same way he did a few years ago to drink maté and talk about football. 

Regarding his comments about an alleged phone conversation we had in which I asked him for work, that makes no sense.  During that time I was working at Boca where I won six titles.  I then was heading to take over at the national team. That's strange, how am I going to ask Mancuso for work if he never worked at a club in Argentina, not as a coach or an assistant. 

After we resigned from the national team, we felt bad we had to leave such a privileged position for any strength and conditioning coach.  I heard that there were players from the 1986 World Cup team, a team that gave us lots of joy, would take over the (national team) job.  That made me very happy; but Mancuso was never part of that group. 

Every coaching staff that coached the national team were formed by very experienced individuals, for example:  Menotti/Saporiti, Bilardo/Pachame, Basile/Merlo/Díaz, Pasarella/Sabella... 

What type of experience does Alejandro Mancuso have in order to be one fo the most important and sought after jobs in Argentine football?

I wish Alejandro Mancuso all the best.  He will need lots of skill and luck in the upcoming months, because if the national team do well.. Argentine football does well. What Alejandro Mancuso said had no substance, our coaching staff always had ethical codes which we adhered to, and he knows it.

Carlos Héctor Dibos