Meet Avaí's youth-team fitness coaches | OneFootball

Physical preparation is one of the key areas in the development process of athletes in Avaí Futebol Clube’s youth academy. Responsible for monitoring the players’ progress on a daily basis, the professionals in this department work on developing physical abilities and helping young players adapt to the demands of high-performance football. Together with the coaching staffs, the strength and conditioning coaches contribute directly to the athletic and personal development of the players who represent the Leão from the earliest age groups up to the U-20 level. Meet the professionals responsible for this work:

Bernardo Silveira | U-14

Born in Porto Alegre, Bernardo Fiusson Silveira is the strength and conditioning coach for the U-14 team. He defines physical preparation as a dynamic role that requires constant monitoring of the athletes’ development. His routine involves planning sessions, organizing equipment, setting up activities, and developing abilities such as strength, speed, endurance, and coordination, always respecting the individual characteristics of the players and the team’s collective goals.

The strength and conditioning coach highlights that the focus is on the group’s continuous growth and the development of individualized work. “I want to understand each athlete’s characteristics so I can define the ideal training for each one and help everyone reach their best possible performance.” Bernardo also emphasizes the importance of injury prevention and preparing the team for the challenges of the season.

Photo: Fabiano Rateke / Avaí F. C.

Mateus Venâncio | U-15

Born in Florianópolis, Matheus Venâncio Velho began his journey at Avaí in the first half of 2024 as an intern. Later that same year, he was hired as the strength and conditioning coach for the U-14 category, and in 2026 he joined the U-15 staff. Having always worked in physical preparation, Mateus points out that the job goes far beyond simply developing strength and speed in athletes.

“The work involves load management, monitoring maturation, and educating athletes to achieve performance,” he explains. According to him, physical preparation in the youth academy also aims to develop players who understand the demands of high performance. “We hope to develop athletes who understand what it takes to reach a high-performance level and who will be able to perform for Avaí’s senior team in the future.”

Photo: Fabiano Rateke / Avaí F.C.

Bruno Cittadin | U-17

Originally from Irará, Bahia, Bruno da Costa Estrela Cittadin has lived in Florianópolis for 15 years and joined Avaí in September 2025. He works as the strength and conditioning coach for the U-17 team.

Bruno describes the work routine as intense and fully integrated with the rest of the coaching staff. Every day, he aligns the physical preparation with the team’s technical and tactical demands, always respecting the athletes’ development process. The work includes load control, physical monitoring, development of physical abilities, and individual follow-up with the players.

In addition to athletic performance, he also emphasizes the importance of personal development within the youth academy. Looking ahead, the strength and conditioning coach envisions the constant improvement of training processes and the strengthening of a high-performance culture in the category. “The idea is to maximize and deliver as many players as possible to the next level,” he says.

Photo: Fabiano Rateke / Avaí F.C.

Breno Ferreira | U-20

Originally from Formosa, Goiás, Breno Ferreira Pereira has a long history with Avaí. He joined the club in 2017 as an intern, initially assisting with the U-20 category.

Over the years, Breno has held different roles and worked with several age groups within Avaí’s youth system, gaining experience in areas such as performance analysis, video editing, kit management, and technical support. In 2019, he was given the opportunity to officially take over as the strength and conditioning coach for the U-12 and U-13 categories. Later, he worked with the U-14, U-15, and U-17 teams, in addition to being part of the U-23 squad and the senior team’s physical preparation staff in 2023, achieving one of his career goals. After spells at other clubs in 2024, he returned to Avaí in February of last year.

Breno explains that physical preparation work begins long before the start of the season. Together with the coaching staff, he takes part in the annual planning process, structuring training loads and sessions according to the demands of the team’s playing model. On a daily basis, the routine includes monitoring the athletes’ recovery, physical assessments, pre-activation work in the gym, and on-field follow-up, always in coordination with the physiology and medical departments.

“My job is to show that physical preparation is not an isolated department, but rather a strategic component of their performance,” he emphasizes. He also reinforces his commitment to personal development and to preparing athletes to sustain the high level required in professional football.

Photo: Fabiano Rateke / Avaí F.C.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.