BRAZIL

Biggest winner of the FIVB World League with eight gold medals alongside Italy, Brazil recovered the top spot of the podium last season, when defeated Serbia in the European’s team home, Belgrade, host city of the Final Round.

Bernardo Rezende, nicknamed "Bernardinho", was born in Rio de Janeiro. The 49-year-old was in charge of the Women's National Team from 1994-2000, and in 2001 became head coach of the Brazilian Men's National Team.

Rezende played Volleyball from 1979-1986 in Rio de Janeiro. As a player, he won the bronze medal in the 1981 World Cup in Japan and silver medals at the FIVB World Championship in Argentina in 1982 and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In 1988, he stopped playing to work as assistant coach to Bebeto de Freitas at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Two years later, he became the head coach of the Perugia Women's team in Italy, where he stayed until 1992. In 1993, still in Italy, he took charge of Modena. By the end of that season, Rezende returned to Brazil and in 1994 started his victorious work as head coach of the Brazilian Women.

That year, Brazil placed second in the World Championship and won the World Grand Prix. In 1996, the team won the bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games and the gold medal at the World Grand Prix. In 1998 Rezende led the Brazilians to a South American title, earned qualification for the World Championship and won bronze in the World Grand Champions Cup in Japan.

In 1999, Bernardinho won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, a silver medal in the World Grand Prix, gold in the South American Championship for the third time, and bronze at the World Cup. In 2000, he led Brazil to third place in the World Grand Prix and at the Olympic Games in Sydney.

After this success Rezende accepted the challenge of leading the Brazilian Men in 2001. The choice could not have been better. Bernardinho led the team to memorable victories including first place in the 2001 and 2003 editions of the World League and the gold medal at the 2002 World Championship.

In 2003, Bernardinho’s star shone even stronger. He guided the team to titles in the World League and the World Cup, and bronze at the Pan American Games in Dominican Republic.

In July 2004, Brazil claimed their fourth World League title. In August, the team won its second Olympic gold medal, in Athens. Bernardinho returned at the end of the year to the Superliga to coach Rexona-Ades.

In 2005, still coaching the Brazilian Men, he earned another four international medals: gold in the World League, gold at the South American Championship and gold at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in Japan. He also won silver at the America's Cup.

In 2006, Bernardinho won the World League for the fifth time, and the FIVB World Championship for the second time.

The success didn't let up in 2007, with victories in the World League, the World Cup, the Pan American Games and the South American Championship. He also led a young team to second place at the America's Cup.

In 2008, Brazil failed in the most important tournaments of the season, finishing second in Beijing Olympic Games and fourth in the World League, which Final Round was played in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2009, however, the coach commanded a renewed team that won the World League, the World Grand Champions Cup and the South American Championship.