By Rex Gowar

BUENOS AIRES, April 15 (Reuters) - Former Argentina coach

Alfio Basile resigned from Racing Club after they had two men

sent off in a 4-1 derby defeat by Independiente, which led to

unhappy players allegedly fighting in the changing room.

Controversial striker Teo Gutierrez left Racing with nine

men for the last 21 minutes after his dismissal for apparently

insulting the referee. He was later alleged to have confronted

team mates with a paintball gun after a fight in the changing

room.

Basile, a former Argentine, South American and World Club

title winner with Racing as a defender in the 1960s, took charge

in January but failed to bring the best out of a talented squad

with only two wins and three draws in 10 Clausura championship

matches.

"After taking a few hours to think about it, Alfio Basile

decided to resign as coach of the club's first team along with

his coaching staff," Racing said on their website

(www.racingclub.com.ar) on Sunday.

Basile, who had supported the problematic Gutierrez and

pinned his hopes on the Colombian leading Racing's title

challenge from the front, had been quoted as saying in the heat

of Saturday's result: "No way I'm staying."

The 26-year-old Gutierrez scored the opening goal in

Saturday's defeat but it was only his third of the championship,

taking his league tally in 14 months at Racing to 20.





CHANGING ROOM FIGHT

Unconfirmed media reports said there was fighting in the

Racing changing room at Independiente's Libertadores de America

ground as the players turned on the talented Gutierrez for

another senseless red card, his second of the year and fourth in

Argentina.

Goalkeeper and captain Sebastian Saja was said to have come

to blows with Gutierrez, who then pulled a paintball gun out of

his bag and threatened players with it. The squad boarded the

team bus without talking to reporters and Gutierrez left alone

afterwards in a taxi.

Basile's assistant Claudio Ubeda, speaking to Fox Sports on

Sunday, said: "What I experienced in the changing room I've

never experienced before in my career.

"Regardless of the fact Teo is a good footballer, measures

must be taken  or there will be problems with the whole squad

major surgery is needed. If I had to take a decision, Teo

Gutierrez wouldn't play for me again."

Basile, who has also coached Boca Juniors and Atletico

Madrid, steered Argentina to their last major trophies at the

Copa America in 1991 and 1993 and took them to his third final

in 2007 during a second spell as national team boss.

However, at 68, he may now throw in the towel. He had been

out of work for more than a year when he took the Racing vacancy

following Diego Simeone's departure to Atletico Madrid in

December saying it was out of love of the club he supports and a

desire to make the fans happy.

Racing appear to have gone for youth to replace Basile with

media reports saying 31-year-old Argentine former Lanus coach

Luis Zubeldia, who has just left Barcelona of Ecuador, was

taking the vacancy.

(Reporting by Rex Gowar. Editing by Patrick Johnston)