Fernando Kreling, better known as Cachopa, is currently Brazil’s best setter.
Born on January 13, 1996, in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Cachopa has stood out as one of the key players in the Brazilian men’s volleyball team, as well as shining at his club, Mint Vero Volley Monza, in Milan, Italy.
And since every Brazilian is passionate about volleyball, we’ve created this guide to bring together the main information about Cachopa’s career and awards. At the end, we’ve listed the 10 best current Brazilian setters. It’s worth taking a look and getting to know even more about the history of our great talents.
His career in sport is marked by a combination of talent, dedication and tactical intelligence, which has taken him to the top of world volleyball.
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The career of Brazil’s best current setter
Cachopa began his career in the youth ranks of volleyball, where he quickly stood out for his ability to distribute the game intelligently.
His talent earned him national prominence when he joined the youth ranks of the Brazilian national team.
In the youth ranks, Brazil’s current best setter developed his skills as a setter, showing an early maturity that set him apart from other players of his generation.
In 2014, at the age of 18, Fernando Kreling was promoted to Cruzeiro’s first team, where he began competing in the Superliga, the main club competition in Brazilian volleyball.
In fact, Brazil’s best current setter has won five Superliga titles (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2021-22). He is also a four-time winner of the Brazilian Volleyball Supercup and the Copa do Brasil.
In terms of international titles with Cruzeiro, the athlete has won the World Club Championship three times (2021, 2016 and 2015) and the South American Club Championship six times.
When it comes to the Brazilian national team, Brazil’s best current setter doesn’t disappoint either:
- Bronze World Championships 2022
- Nations League Gold 2021
- World Cup Gold 2019
- Pan American Cup 2015
Individual awards
- Best Lifter in the 2022 South American Club Championship
- Best Lifter of the 2021 Club World Championship
- MVP of the 2020 South American Club Championship
- Best Lifter at the 2016 South American Under-23 Championship
Main characteristics as a setter
Fernando Kreling is widely recognized for his vision of the game and ability to distribute the attack with precision.
The main characteristic of Brazil’s best setter today is his ability to make his team unpredictable, involving all the attackers and keeping the opposing defense on its toes.
He is a setter who combines refined technique with tactical intelligence, knowing exactly when to speed up the game or slow it down in order to organize the team.
Another of Cachopa’s strengths is his leadership ability, with an impressive maturity on the court, leading his teammates.
His consistency and precision in his serves make him one of the best volleyball players in Brazil today.
In addition, Cachopa is known for his quick thinking and reflexes, allowing him to make decisions in fractions of a second.
It’s also impossible to ignore the athlete’s agility, a characteristic that makes it easy for him to move around and get to any ball.
All these characteristics make Fernando Kreling the best setter in Brazil today.
It’s worth noting that the Volley Box website uses different criteria to quantify all these elements and then define the best in each position and, finally, put together a ranking.
Among the requirements that made Cachopa Brazil’s best current setter are:
- his election as the best lifter in the 2023/24 Italian Cup
- Silver medal in Italian Serie A
- Silver in the Challenge Cup
- Silver in the Italian Cup
In addition to the positions held by the Brazilian national team at the Paris Olympics and the Men’s Volleyball Nations League.
With a list full of titles and awards, both for the national team and for his clubs, it’s clear that Cachopa is an excellent representative to occupy the position of best setter in Brazil today.
He is essential for the club he plays for and for taking the national team even further in the tournaments he plays in.
Mixing experience with youth, Cachopa is one of the athletes representing the transition between generations that Brazilian men’s volleyball is going through.
With many years of his career still ahead of him, Fernando Kreling continues to write his history on the court, establishing himself as one of the great maestros of global volleyball. Of course, he’s not alone in this.
Brazil’s 10 best current lifters
The list of the 10 best current Brazilian lifters includes:
- Fernando Kreling
- Rodrigo Ribeiro
- Thiago Veloso
- Bruno Rezende
- Eduardo Carísio
- Matheus Gonçalves
- Gabriel Yan
- Mateus Bender
- Gustavo Cardoso
- Luís Rodrigues
Each of these athletes is essential to their club, to the national team and to Brazilian volleyball as a whole.
Now that you know all about the career of Brazil’s best current setter, take the opportunity to read other special articles about the sport:
- The best current lifter in the world is French! [2024]
- Complete list: the 10 best Brazilian volleyball setters in history
- The 20 best volleyball players of all time
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