Brazilian Coach Ze Roberto Talks about Tokyo Olympics Roster

August 21, 2020

With only ten months left to decide on the roster for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, Brazilian women’s volleyball head coach Ze Roberto has announced some of the players who will represent Brazil in the international tournament. Top players Gabi Guimaraes, Natalia Pereira, and Tandara Caixeta have secured spots in the roster, according to Roberto.

In an interview with the Brazilian Federation’s YouTube channel, Roberto praised Guimaraes’s performance as one of the best passers in the world, citing her impressive 80 percent passing rate in the Turkish League. “When you have a player performing so well at the international level, she’s certainly part of your team,” he added. Meanwhile, Pereira and Caixeta have also demonstrated their skills at the international level and are expected to be part of the team as long as they remain healthy and in good form.

Roberto also expressed his desire to have Thaisa Menezes in the team, but her situation is a little more complicated since she hasn’t represented the national team since the 2018 FIVB Volleyball World Championships.

However, there are still some undecided spots in the roster, and Roberto acknowledged that it would be a difficult task to make the final selection. He emphasized that the next few months will be crucial for the team’s final decisions.

The Brazilian women’s volleyball team has a strong track record at the Olympics, having won the tournament twice in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. However, they were eliminated by reigning champion China in the quarter-finals of Rio 2016. With Roberto at the helm, Brazil will aim to contend for the world champion title next year.