Beach volleyball icon Alison Cerutti, an Olympic champion and multiple world medalist, is now making waves in a new role. He has joined Brazil`s coaching staff at the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships, which recently commenced in Puebla.
In Mexico, four Brazilian pairs (two men`s and two women`s) are competing, benefiting greatly from Alison`s presence in their coaching team. The two qualifier teams have performed exceptionally, winning all their matches and are on the verge of entering the main draw. The remaining two teams are directly seeded and will begin their tournament on Thursday.
“This is a new chapter for me,” shared the 39-year-old Alison, who retired from his illustrious 24-year playing career just weeks prior. “After dedicating 24 years to beach volleyball, coaching these young Brazilians, my team, feels truly different and brings me immense joy.”
During matches, Alison prefers to observe from the stands, a new and somewhat nervous experience for him. His primary role involves mentoring the young Brazilian athletes between games, complementing the on-court guidance provided by other seasoned coaches.
“It`s profoundly different and challenging for me to be off the court after so many years playing,” Alison admitted. “During play, all I can do is cheer them on. But the feeling is incredible, knowing these young athletes represent the future of beach volleyball for Brazil and globally.”
In a remarkable twist, Alison`s debut international coaching match pitted him against his former beach volleyball partner, Alvaro Filho. Filho, who also transitioned to coaching for the U.S. U21 men`s teams, faced Alison`s Brazilian duo, Eduardo Barbosa (Dudu) and Gabriel De Oliveira, in the first qualification round. The Brazilians secured a decisive 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) victory over USA`s Jackson Herbert and Bradford Harman.
“Facing USA, and particularly my friend and former partner Alvaro Filho, made my first match a significant challenge,” Alison confessed.
Dudu and Gabriel, with Alison observing intently, overcame a much tougher second-round challenge, clinching a narrow 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 16-14) victory against Denmark`s Villads Napier & Hjalmer Madsen, thereby progressing to the third round.
“Having an Olympic champion like Alison with us instills immense confidence,” Dudu expressed after their second victory. “He`s a constant source of inspiration, offering invaluable technical and tactical insights. He inspires us not just as a player or a blocker, but as a remarkable individual.”
Brazil`s women`s qualifying team, Marcela Barbosa and Maria Clara, also delivered a strong performance, securing a 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win against Canada`s Sophie Hancock and Emma Cudmore. They now need just one more victory to reach the main draw.
With a flawless start to his international coaching career, the question remains: is coaching the right path for Alison?
“I`m not sure yet,” he mused. “It`s my very first tournament. But I`m enjoying it, so perhaps I`m here for the long haul…”
Oliver Wrenwick