By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After almost sixteen years at the helm of the Brazilian men’s volleyball team, coach Bernardo Rocha de Rezende, known as Bernardinho, left the position yesterday (December 11th). Bernardinho took over the men’s team in May 2001, and in recent years he has scored more than thirty titles as coach for the men’s team.
As coach of the Seleção (national team), Bernardinho has been part of every Olympic and World Cup finals for the last sixteen years. Bernardinho won two Olympic golds: in 2004 in Athens and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. He also took two silver medals in 2008 and 2012 and three world titles: 2002, 2006 and 2010, in addition to eight World Leagues.
His replacement, officially presented by the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV), is the former player of the Seleção, Renan Dal Zotto, who was part of the so-called “silver generation” of Brazilian volleyball along with other famous athletes such as Montanaro, William, Bernard, Bernardinho and Carlão himself.
According to CBV’s selection director, Radamés Lattari, “Bernardinho thanked the invitation to continue as a coach, but preferred to take the time now to dedicate himself a little more to the family, to his things, and he will continue to collaborate in the way he judges best with the work of Renan.”
Lattari assured that there will be no further changes in the Seleções. José Roberto continues as coach of the Brazilian women’s volleyball team and Renan takes on the men’s team as of today.