almost a third of those called up by Bernardinho were trained in Minas < No Attack

The list of those called up for the Brazilian Men’s Volleyball Team for the Nations Cup and the Paris’2024 Olympic Games was released by coach Bernardinho and, in it, a finding: practically a third of them were trained in Minas Gerais. Of the 30 names, 12 originated in Minas Gerais courts. And the importance of Minas Tênis as a generator of talent stands out, as no less than 10 of these athletes passed through the club’s base.

The midfielders Maurício Borges, Lucarelli, Arthur Bento and Paulão, as well as the network midfielders Flávio and Otávio, are silver stars of the Minas-tennis team. Opposites Felipe Roque and Abouba, midfielder Mateus Pinta and libero Maique started playing volleyball on other teams, but improved at the Belo Horizonte club.

Felipe Roque is from Juiz de Fora and started his career at Bom Pastor. Maique started at Três Corações, but moved to Minas at a very young age, in the children’s team. Abouba, son of Ivorians, was born in Brasília and started at Upis-DF. Both he and midfielder Mateus Pinta (revealed by APCEF-DF), also from Brasilia, arrived for the youth team.

The other two players launched by teams from Minas Gerais are pointers Honorato – who started at the Uberlândia Vôlei Academy – and Adriano Xavier, who started his career in a project run by the Juatuba City Hall, a city in Greater BH.

The other 19 called up by Bernardinho are from various locations in Brazil, including five from Rio de Janeiro, four from São Paulo and the Cuban naturalized Brazilian Leal.

Pride of Minas

According to Minas’ men’s volleyball director, former player Elói Lacerda de Oliveira Neto – who played for the club and competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games with the Brazilian team – the numbers show the importance of Minas on the national scene.

“There are six players who started playing here and six who came in the training phase, which we consider to be from the youth level, that is, at 16 years old. This means that the improvement of these players happened in our formation”, says Elói.

The director emphasizes that the Minas team that competed in the last edition of the men’s Superliga no less than 70% of the athletes trained at the club. “No one has this in Brazil. Minas is a national example”, he highlights.

According to Elói, MTC currently has 22 thousand students in sports schools. He says that the main team serves as a mirror for these boys.

“We seek not only to train athletes, but also men and women. It is vital work, which enables the formation of citizens. This, for Minas, is fundamental. Today’s athletes are a mirror for younger people who will become tomorrow’s athletes.”

He goes further, saying how the club does this work: “We have strict principles in formation and we will always follow this mindset. For example, if Minas does not have a sponsorship, it will continue competing, as it has a team formed at home”.

Bernardinho’s 30

Lifters

Player – Current team – Formation

• Bruninho – Modena-ITA – Fluminense
• Fernando Cachopa – Monza-ITA – Association of Parents and Friends of Volleyball Athletes-RS
• Matheus Brasília – São José – Friends of Vôlei-DF
• Rhendrick – Joinville – Paraná Volleyball Association
• Thiaguinho – Sesi Bauru – Náutico-PE

Opposites

Player – Current team – Formation

• Abouba – Tours-FRA – Upis Brasília/Minas
• Alan Souza – Olsztyn-POL – Botafogo
• Chizoba Neves – Nantes-FRA – São Caetano-SP
• Darlan Souza – Sesi/Bauru – Botafogo
• Felipe Roque – São José-SP – Bom Pastor-JF/Minas
• Wallace – Cruzeiro – Banespa-SP

Pointers

Player – Current team – Formation

• Adriano Xavier – Campinas – Juatuba City Hall
• Arthur Bento – Minas – Minas
• Birigui – Chaumont/FRA – Sesi-SP
• Daniel Muniz – Suzano – Pinheiros-SP
• Honorato – Joinville-SC – Uberlândia Volleyball Academy
• Leal – Piacenza-ITA – Ciudad Habana-Cuba
• Lucarelli – Piacenza-ITA – Minas
• Lukas Bergman – Sesi/Bauru – Elase Clube Social e Desportivo – Avotol/Toledo-PR
• Mauricio Borges – Campinas – Minas
• Paulão – Minas – Minas

Centrals

Player – Current team – Formation

• Flávio – Perugia-ITA – Minas
• Isac Santos – Minas – Niterói Vôlei Clube-RJ
• Judson – Suzano – Pedregal-MT Volleyball Association
• Lucão – Cruzeiro – Grêmio Náutico União-RS
• Matheus Pinta – São José – APCEF-DF/Minas
• Otávio – Cruzeiro – Minas

Liberos

Player – Current team – Formation

• Alê Elias – Cruzeiro – Fluminense
• Maique – Minas – Três Corações/Minas
• Thales – Chaumont-FRA – Ulbra-RS