If the Brazilian National Basketball Team's main objective is to shine at the 2012 London Olympic Games, nothing better than being led by an Olympic specialist. The Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) announced this Saturday morning, the 16th, the hiring of Argentine coach Rubens Magnano for the Brazilian men's national team. Magnano, a gold medalist with Argentina at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and runner-up at the 2002 Indianapolis World Championship, will lead Brazil at the 2010 World Championship, from August 28th to September 12th in Türkiye.

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Marcelinho Machado, 34, is one of the greatest names in the recent history of Brazilian basketball. His resume speaks for itself: three-time Pan American champion, in 1999, 2003, and 2007, two-time Copa América champion in 2005 and 2009, and two-time South American champion in 1999 and 2003 with the national team. He has also won three Brazilian titles (two with Flamengo), four Rio de Janeiro titles (three with Flamengo), the South American League, also wearing the red-and-black jersey, and has also won the Minas Gerais, Lithuanian, and Lithuanian Cup titles.

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Top scorer and voted best player in the last edition of Novo Basquete Brasil, and also the top scorer this season in the competition, Marcelinho praised the signing of Magnano, but also took the opportunity to congratulate the work of Spaniard Moncho Monsalve, who left the National Team after having led the team to victory in the 2009 Copa América.

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"I welcome the arrival of Magnano, a winning and highly experienced coach. The Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) decided to change the leadership, but we must congratulate Moncho for the excellent work he did with the Brazilian National Team. I'm happy with his arrival. He has a wealth of experience, is an Olympic champion, and has everything it takes to help Brazil return to being among the best in world basketball," he said.

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At 55, Magnano already has over 20 titles under his belt. He is a four-time South American and Argentine champion with Atenas de Córdoba, a club he has managed on three different occasions and where he gained his first coaching experience in 1990. This was the team the Argentine was coaching before accepting the Brazilian national team. In addition to local teams, he also worked with Whirlpool Varese in Italy and Cajasol in Spain. CBB president Carlos Nunes explained the hiring.

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"It was a long meeting to finalize a series of details. Magnano's contract runs through the 2012 World Pre-Olympic Tournament, with the possibility of being extended until the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He will stay in Brazil for twelve months and will help develop our projects. We are beginning a new phase and will keep Brazilian basketball among the best in the world," Carlinhos revealed.