Bruno Rezende, who also suited up for Brazil in last year's edition of the VNL Manila leg, said that it was "special" to be back in the country again.
It took Brazil’s final game in the 2024 VNL Manila leg before superstar setter Bruno Rezende saw action for the team.
Bruno has been dealing with a left calf strain, which forced him to play as a reserve for the world No. 6 squad at the start of its campaign in the country's capital.
But the 37-year-old skipper made sure to give the Filipino crowd a treat as he made his return from injury against France on Sunday, June 23.
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Bruno Rezende celebrates during Brazil's match against France in the VNL Manila. | Photo (c) RM Chua
Fans, in turn, gave out loud cheers for Bruno as he stepped on the court – something that he was grateful for.
“Amazing to be here in the Philippines. All these fans, all the love that we receive today and all this week, so really special to be here again,” said Bruno, who also suited up for Brazil in the Manila installment last year.
The Brazilians, however, fell short against the Frenchmen in a five-set thriller, 23-25, 29-27, 25-13, 19-25, 16-18.
Despite being a bit frustrated with the result, Bruno still lauded his team’s effort.
“[I was] a little bit without rhythm, but it’s normal after three weeks out. But the most important is the team,” said Bruno.
“We played a great match. But in the end, we didn’t finalize the game, and that’s a little bit frustrating. But we just have to keep going,” he added.
Brazil, which has already qualified for the VNL Finals, ended its Manila campaign with only one win to show – in its opener against the Netherlands – in four matches.
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Bruno Rezende (rightmost) and the rest of the Brazilian squad. | Photo (c) RM Chua
Nonetheless, Bruno noted the team's dedication amid the demands of the VNL.
“This VNL is a little bit tough for the teams. And our team made a lot of travels, so it wasn’t easy. But the dedication of our team is special,” said Bruno.
Brazil will now prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris 2024, where it finished fourth place in Tokyo edition of the Games four years ago.