Take inspiration from what French handball has patiently built in the past to maintain itself at the highest level over a long period and do the same with French volleyball: this is the goal set by the new coach of the Blues, the legendary Brazilian Bernardinho, who, at just 62 years old, takes over from Laurent Tillie as coach of the France team for Euro 2021.
"
I have enormous respect and enormous admiration for Laurent
", praises Bernardo Rocha de Rezende, whom everyone calls Bernardinho, before the departure for Estonia and Tallinn where the French will start their European Championship this Friday against Slovakia (7:00 p.m.). “
Laurent did a lot of things for French volleyball with the gold medal in Tokyo. But I hope to do something more for the project, that there is a legacy of gold from Tokyo and then with the Olympics in Paris in 2024
“, He specifies, in good French tinged with a Brazilian accent, he who began to learn the language of Molière just after his appointment in mid-April.
As coach with Brazil, he won everything and on several occasions: Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 and then in Rio in 2016 - between the two, he also won two silver medals in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012 - and world gold in 2002, 2006 and 2010. What could have attracted such a legend to the head of the France team, whose appointment dates back well before the golden epic of Tokyo?
I want to play volleyball like handball in France.
Bernardinho
“
I like volleyball, I like to train, I like the atmosphere of the hall. In Brazil they have great coaches and I didn't want to be a shadow for them. I celebrated my 62th birthday (August 25, at the start of preparation in Belfort, Editor's note), and I came here with the desire to build even stronger volleyball in mind
, ”he slips . And his ambition goes beyond simple selection. "
The stronger the selection, the stronger the clubs.
The two pull each other up.
I want to play volleyball like handball in France.
Why look in another country for what worked when you have experience in France?
The challenge is beautiful, there is quality among the players.
I told them: You made it to the top, now staying there is the hardest part.
I'm here to share my experience with their knowledge and talent, to do something together.
The addition of these two aspects.
I think that here I can learn a lot and be better.
I want to try to give something from my side, and also learn from their experience
”.
Earvin Ngapeth and novices
To achieve the Olympic double in 2024, which only the USSR (Tokyo 1964 / Mexico 1968) and the United States (Los Angeles 1984 / Seoul 1988) have achieved, he relies on Earvin Ngapeth, whom he knows well since the he striker-receiver of the Blues is a great friend of his son, Bruninho, passer of the Brazilian Seleçao. “
Earvin is the best player in the world technically, in creativity, in energy. He has a natural leadership, but he can still become the leader a little more
», Considers Bernardinho. The new coach leaves on an extremely fertile ground with this Olympic title, and for base the twelve champions of Tokyo. However, he thinks he can integrate young players by touches in the perspective of the 2024 Olympics and beyond. At Euro 2021, he also took four novices, with François Rebeyrol, Moussé Gueye, Benjamin Diez and Théo Faure. “
They have a process to follow from club to selection. The system is complementary between the national team and the League.
"From there to integrate them into the group of 12 for 2024? "
Who knows? Who could have anticipated that Jean Patry would start and evolve at this level of performance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo?
», He emphasizes.
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