Double Olympic champion (2004 and 2016) and triple world champion (2002, 2006, 2010) with Brazil, Bernardinho, considered one of the best coaches in the world, had agreed in the spring of 2021 to take over from Laurent Tillie, who served as coach of the Blues for nine years, from the summer of 2012 to the summer of 2021.

But barely seven months after the start of the adventure which was to take him to the 2024 Olympics, he submitted his resignation, accepted by the French Federation, due to "personal problems which no longer allow him to invest in the France team".

"It is one of the most difficult and painful decisions of my entire career. I am very sad because I love this France team, the group, the players, the staff that we have built. I am very grateful for the confidence that the federation has given me throughout the year", explained the 62-year-old Brazilian, quoted in the press release from the French Federation.

Bernardinho in the middle of the players of the French volleyball team during the round of 16 of the Euro lost against the Czech Republic on September 13, 2021 in Ostrava Michal CIZEK AFP / Archives

"But I have to make this choice, there are no other possible choices for my family, which remains a priority," he added.

At the head of the Blues from the end of August 2021, just a few weeks after the Olympic coronation in Tokyo, he had surrounded himself with two assistants, Rubinho, his faithful assistant when he was coach of Brazil, and the Franco-Brazilian Mauricio Paes, who knows France well after his stints as a coach in Tourcoing, Tours and Paris.

Worldwide in five months

For his first competition as coach of the France team, and less than three weeks after the Olympic Games, Bernardinho had stopped in the round of 16 of Euro-2021, the French losing 3 sets to 0 against the Czech Republic, physically and mentally worn down by an endless summer of 2021.

"We had the best coach to carry out our goals until the Paris 2024 Games and so I can only regret this situation. But I obviously understand the reasons that led Bernardinho to take this difficult decision and I thank him for staying. available to prepare the rest", estimated the president of the FFVolley, Eric Tanguy.

Bernardinho in the middle of the players of the French volleyball team during the round of 16 of the Euro lost against the Czech Republic on September 13, 2021 in Ostrava Michal CIZEK AFP / Archives

The French Federation will now have to look for a coach, while the major deadline, the Olympic tournament in the summer of 2024 is fast approaching.

In the immediate future, "the sequel" will happen very quickly, with a League of Nations in June, a tournament which must serve as a full-scale preparation for the French for the World Championship in five months, from August 26 to September 11, including the organization was withdrawn from Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) is still looking for one or more host countries.

The title of world champion is the only one that still eludes the golden generation of French volleyball led by Earvin Ngapeth, Benjamin Toniutti, Jénia Grebennikov and Kévin Tillie, winner of the World League (ancestor of the League of Nations) in 2015, from the Euro still in 2015 and the Olympics in 2021.

Frenchmen Benjamin Toniutti, Kevin Tillie and Earvin Ngapeth, from left to right, share their joy with coach Laurent Tillie after their victory in the final of the Olympic Games on August 7, 2021 in Tokyo JUNG Yeon-je AFP / Archives

In the medium term, the new coach will only have a few international competitions (Leagues of Nations in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Mondial-2022 and Euro-2023) to prepare for the defense of the Olympic title at home, in less than 30 months on the site of the Porte de Versailles, in the south of Paris.

© 2022 AFP