Bernadinho’s alleged move to Brazilian politics will not have the support of his wife, the legendary setter Fernanda Venturini. After the brutal assassination of Marielle Franco, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most prestigious city counselors, in the past week,with allegations of political foul play, Venturini took to social media to express her disgust with Brazil’s political scenery:
“What a say day! And they want my husband to be on politics. Get real, there are only criminals on politics. #shame #disgusted #melhorsaidagaleão (The last hashtag can be loosely translated to “the best solution is to get out of Brazil through the city’s airport”).”
Indeed, Bernardinho‘s alleged interest in politics has been met with mixed feelings by his fans. His highly successful persona is seen by some people as an indicative of competence and skill, perfect for government, while others think that the legendary coach should not taint his legacy by mixing himself with Brazilian politics, as current corruption scandals have eroded the trust of the common citizen in Brazil’s governing bodies and peoples.
As far as female volleyball in Brazil is concerned, Bernadinho’s move to politics could spell doom for the sport. He is the heart and soul of Brazilian club female volleyball, having won the Superliga an amazing 11 times. It always startled me when attending Superliga matches that at the end of games, fans didn’t care about most players at all and went straight at coach Bernadinho for autographs and selfies. If he goes away from the game, he may as well leave a hole in heart of fan that no one in volleyball today would be able to fill.
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