Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil Brings Back Antonio Carlos Barbosa to Coach Women's National Team

Brazil's women's national basketball team will have former coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa as the one in charge, as they compete in the Olympics next year in Rio de Janeiro.

FIBA.com said Barbosa was taken back by the team after Luiz Augusto Zanon left his post due to health concerns.

The former coach has been leading Brazil's women national team since March 2013 and has also led them during the 2013 and 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championships and the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship.

According to the same report, Barbosa is again in charge of the team for the third time in his career. He first took charge od the team from 1976 to 1984 then returned from 1996 to 2007.

With Barbosa chosen to lead the women's team in the Olympics, Brazil has a potential shot at winning a medal in the competition. He led the team to earn a silver and a bronze in the Olympics in 1996 and 2000.

"With the Olympic Games coming up, just a little over seven months to the start of the competition, we understand that this is the ideal name. We believe that he can put together a competitive team for the Rio Games," said Brazilian Basketball Confederation technical director Vanderlei Mazzuchini in the FIBA.com report.

In a similar report, Atarde said that Barbosa will start being in charge of the team on Monday, and will make sure that the country will succeed during the Olympics.

"It's a time when the Brazilian team undergoes a renovation. In the Olympics you have to take what is best. There was then one cycle in which they were quite worked young players in Championships South American and World Championships," said Barbosa in the same report.

He also said that they are given the chance to evaluate the chances that Brazil will have in the competition.

He claims to be a winning spirit and does not go into a game thinking they would not take home a medal, who are very capable of doing so. :I think Brazil has a mix of experienced players, others less so and other very young. This mix can give a good rating for our country," he added.

The returning coach also told Globo that he will maintain the list of athletes that Zanon called. He added that the work for him will really start by January 6, when the players are expected to perform for a test event.

Mourinho claimed that he will "respect" the choices made by the former team coach when he takes over  Brazil's women's basketball team.