José Roberto Guimarães, 67, gathered the players on the court and, instead of starting training, asked the directors of two companies to open that session with the long-awaited news. The Barueri Volleyball Club, after the coach’s public outburst, now has the sponsorship of two brands of the Alelo group.
These are Veloe, a company specializing in solutions for urban mobility, and the delivery application Ask Pronto.
“When I received the news I felt, and still have, the urge to cry. I need to raise my hands and thank God, because we need this [patrocínio] to survive,” says Zé Roberto.
“I asked them to [executivos] break the news. I would have been even more thrilled when it came time to announce it, and they were so happy. The players were proud, feeling that they were being watched. With the feeling that they are being valued. It was a light at the end of the tunnel.”
It’s still not enough to guarantee the acquisition of the team’s naming rights, which will continue as Barueri in the Superliga dispute, nor the master sponsorship. The fight for new partners continues, but now with more ease.
“It is very difficult to find a master sponsor during this period. Everything is welcome. Anyone who can help, regardless of the value, the fact of adding the brand is very important. There are other companies that were left to study”, says Zé Roberto.
The project, which turned five years old in October, experienced for the first time the risk of facing a season without financial support. Thus, the coach of the Brazilian women’s volleyball team was forced to use its own resources for the maintenance of the Barueri Volleyball Club, paying salaries for the athletes and the coaching staff.
Currently, the team is the eighth place in the Superliga, with two victories (over Curitiba and Valinhos) and three defeats (Pinheiros, Sesi Bauru and Osasco). In its sixth game in the competition, this Tuesday (23), the team from São Paulo hosts Brasília, at 17:00, at José Correa gym, in Barueri.
Zé Roberto feared the possibility of having to dismiss the athletes and close the doors after the current edition. Three-time Olympic champion coach with the Brazilian team (1992, 2008 and 2012), he has the help of his wife Alcione and daughter Anna Carolina to lead the team on and off the court, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
At the training center, Sportville, built by the family in Barueri, there are 20 athletes from youth to professional. The project is also committed to the school education of young people and has the presence of psychologists and physiotherapists.
Despite the financial difficulties, the young Barueri squad, nicknamed “Chiquititas” by the fans, finished the Campeonato Paulista in second place, defeated in the title decision by Osasco.
In the semifinals, Barueri overcame then-favorite Sesi. After that confrontation, on October 12th, Zé Roberto made an outburst that moved fans and the volleyball community. “We need help and support for this beautiful project not to die,” he said while still on court, live on SporTV.
In the first three seasons, the team had as main partner the company Hinode. In the two following ones, it counted on the São Paulo Futebol Clube —a relationship that was frustrated after the tricolor association failed to pay the amount agreed during the entire last year of the relationship.
That clamor drew attention, including the fact that Zé Roberto, two months earlier, had led the Brazilian women’s volleyball team to the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. A highly celebrated result for a team that, throughout the Olympic cycle, lost athletes for various medical reasons (such as injuries and pregnancy).
Fans soon echoed the coach’s outburst on social media, with the hashtag #PatrocineOBarueriVolei.
“That [acerto com patrocinadores] it is the result of the fans, of those who cared about us. From the media, the reports that came out in the sheet, at Globo,” says the coach. “We are happy, with a sense of pride as well, and we will do our best to make this partnership lasting.”
Barueri’s relationship with Veloe and Pede Pronto will last for a season. The team will also continue with Hummel, a sports equipment supplier, and Prevent Senior. The latter provides medical assistance for the entire team.
“The idea of joining this project came when we knew that the club needed support and we believed that we could join efforts to strengthen the development of young people and high-performance athletes”, says André Turqueetto, director of Veloe.
“Furthermore, it is an opportunity to further strengthen the relationship with the city of Barueri, where our headquarters are located.”
One of the concerns of the Guimarães family, in addition to the country’s economic crisis, is the fact that Barueri’s vocation is to reveal and polish young talents, instead of relying on experienced and renowned athletes, a factor that can hinder when attracting sponsors.
“There are sponsors who, when they join, want to win the championship and hire national team players. I think we have found our DNA, which is that of training. We have all the youth categories, 17, 19, 21 and adult” , said Ze Roberto to sheet, in October.
“We are looking for players all over Brazil, not only that they are talented and maybe make the selection, but for them to play volleyball, have chances. Social inclusion is important, giving opportunities to these girls,” added the coach.
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