Ze Roberto has steered the Brazil women's team to two Olympic titles
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 23, 2016 – Jose Roberto Guimaraes, the coach of the Brazilian women’s team, confirmed on Friday that he is staying on as the team’s coach.
At a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Ze Roberto, as he is popularly known, said he felt the need to continue for at least another four years until the Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan in 2020.
“I have been with the squad for 13 years and we have a new challenge in this new cycle after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” he said. The two-time defending champions were the favourites to win the women’s title in Rio but were stunned in the quarterfinals by eventual gold medallists China.
“The motivation is the same,” Ze Roberto said emphatically. “To represent my country is one of the most important tasks that I have and am very grateful for that. The great challenge of this next cycle is to continue keeping Brazilian volleyball among the best in the world.
“New, talented girls are emerging – a new generation. They are working very hard, vying for championships and achieving good results. We have won the South American Under-17 and Under-23 championships and now will compete for the Under-18 title.”
At the press conference, Radames Lattari was presented as the new volleyball director of the Brazilian Volleyball Federation (CBV). Radames and Ze Roberto were seated next to the CBV’s Executive Director Ricardo Trade, who stressed the importance of the coach to the women's team.
“It is a joy for the volleyball world that Ze Roberto has agreed to continue with the team,” he said. “This was our goal and we really want to thank the coach for that.”
Jose Roberto Guimaraes became an Olympic champion for the first time in the Barcelona Games in 1992 when he was with the men's team. After he took over the women's team, he led them to gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and London in 2012.