Maurício Souza (volleyball)

Maurício Luiz de Souza (born 29 September 1988) is a Brazilian politician, former volleyball player, member of the Brazil men's national volleyball team, 2016 Olympic Champion, silver medallist of the 2018 World Championship, gold medallist of the 2019 World Cup, three–time South American Champion (2013, 2015, 2017), 2014 Turkish Champion. He was sacked from the Minas Tênis Clube and the national team in October 2021 after sharing a post about Jon Kent, the son of Superman, being revealed to be bisexual.[1][2]

Maurício Souza
Souza in 2016
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Assumed office
1 February 2023
ConstituencyMinas Gerais
Personal details
Born
Maurício Luiz de Silva

(1988-09-29) 29 September 1988
Iturama, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Political partyPL (2022–present)
SpouseIsabella Saldanha Castro
Children2
Volleyball career
Personal information
Height2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)
Weight105 kg (231 lb)
Volleyball information
PositionMiddle blocker
Current clubRetired
Career
YearsTeams
2007–2008
2008–2011
2011–2012
2012–2013
2013
2013–2014
2014–2015
2015–2017
2017–2019
2019–2021
2021		Brazil Sport Club Ulbra
Brazil Brasil Vôlei Clube
Brazil Vôlei Futuro
Brazil Minas Tênis Clube
Brazil RJ Vôlei
Turkey Halkbank Ankara
Brazil Vôlei Taubaté
Brazil Brasil Vôlei Clube
Brazil SESC RJ
Brazil Vôlei Taubaté
Brazil Minas Tênis Clube
National team
2011–2021 Brazil
Honours
Men's volleyball
Representing  Brazil
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro
FIVB World Championship
Silver medal – second place2018 Italy/Bulgaria
FIVB World Cup
Gold medal – first place2019 Japan
FIVB World Grand Champions Cup
Gold medal – first place2013 Japan
Gold medal – first place2017 Japan
FIVB Nations League
Gold medal – first place2021 Rimini
FIVB World League
Silver medal – second place2013 Mar del Plata
Silver medal – second place2014 Florence
Silver medal – second place2016 Kraków
Silver medal – second place2017 Curitiba
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2011 Guadalajara
Silver medal – second place2015 Toronto
Pan American Cup
Gold medal – first place2013 Mexico City
CSV South American Championship
Gold medal – first place2013 Cabo Frio
Gold medal – first place2015 Maceió
Gold medal – first place2017 Chile
FISU World University Games
Bronze medal – third place2011 Shenzhen
FIVB U21 World Championship
Gold medal – first place2007 Casablanca/Rabat

He later joined the Liberal Party in 2022. He participated as a candidate in the parliamentary elections in the same year, being elected as a federal deputy from the state of Minas Gerais.

Personal life

Maurício Souza is married to Isabella Saldanha Castro and has two children, a girl and a boy.[3]

Statements about homosexuals

Souza has posted homophobic messages on his social networks in the past, which generated controversy. In 2014 he made a post against homosexuality but apologized after a public backlash. Another made in 2017 was removed ten hours later.[4]

In 2021, Souza criticized the comic character Jonathan Samuel Kent, who in the DC Universe is the son of Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, for being revealed as bisexual.[5] After a negative reaction, Fiat and Gerdau, sponsors of Minas Tênis Clube, the team the athlete works for, demanded measures from the club's board of directors and repudiated the player's attitude.[6] The sports team then decided to fine[7] and temporarily remove Souza,[8] in addition to stating that "the player's opinions do not represent the beliefs of the partner sports institution" and that he should recant.[9][10] The organized supporters Independente Minas also released a statement in which it said it "will ignore the athlete Maurício Souza in social networks, games and demonstrations".[11]

After the controversy, Souza published a message of retraction for the statements on his Twitter account.[12] However, on October 27, 2021, the team terminated their contract with him.[13] Renan Dal Zotto, coach of the Brazilian Men's Volleyball Team, said he "was disappointed" with the conduct of Maurício Souza and that "there is no room for homophobic professionals" in the selection.[14] As a result, Souza lost his place within the national team. 20 federal deputies from 13 states and seven political parties lodged complaints against him with the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais.[2]

Sporting achievements

Clubs

Individual awards

Politics

Souza is a public supporter of Jair Bolsonaro.[15] Shortly after the defeat of the Brazilian volleyball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he was received by Jair Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL), at Palácio do Planalto, in Brasília.[16] On the occasion, Souza presented the politicians with t-shirts of the Brazilian volleyball team.[17] His support for the Bolsonaro family had been known since 2018, when he and Wallace de Souza, his national team partner, went viral on the internet after posing for a photo in which they made, with their fingers, the number 17, which represented Bolsonaro in the ballot boxes during the 2018 Brazilian presidential election.[18]

After his firing for his homophobic comments, Souza joined the Liberal Party in March 2022 to run for the position of federal deputy for Minas Gerais in the 2022 election. Souza said that he was running because there was a need for more officials who supported President Jair Bolsonaro.[19] He won by a margin of over 83,000 votes.[20]

References
  1. "Não é 'liberdade de opinião' se ofende o próximo; Maurício Souza se retrata, mas polêmica continua - Lygia Azevedo". 27 October 2021.
  2. "O que se sabe sobre o caso Maurício Souza". Rádio Gaúcha. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. "Filho do jogador mineiro da seleção brasileira de vôlei Maurício Souza manda recado para o pai em Tóquio: 'Orgulhosos'".
  4. "Campeão olímpico de vôlei compartilha piada homofóbica em rede social".
  5. "Opinião: Olhar Olímpico - Patrocinadores peitam Minas após clube passar pano para homofobia".
  6. "Opinião: Olhar Olímpico - Patrocinadores peitam Minas após clube passar pano para homofobia".
  7. "Minas afasta Maurício Souza, que é multado e deverá se retratar após declarações homofóbicas". Ge.
  8. "Reportagem: Olhar Olímpico - Minas decide afastar Maurício após homofobia, e jogadores ameaçam ir embora".
  9. "Opinião: Olhar Olímpico - Patrocinadores peitam Minas após clube passar pano para homofobia".
  10. "Minas afasta Maurício Souza, que é multado e deverá se retratar após declarações homofóbicas". Ge.
  11. "Torcida organizada de clube diz que vai ignorar Mauricio Souza após postagens homofóbicas". 23 October 2021.
  12. "Após exigência do Minas, Maurício Souza pede desculpas por declarações homofóbicas em perfil com 51 seguidores".
  13. "Minas rescinde contrato com central Maurício Souza".
  14. "'Não tem espaço para profissionais homofóbicos na Seleção', diz Renan Dal Zotto, sobre Maurício Souza".
  15. "Daniel Alves e outros atletas usam slogan de Bolsonaro em mensagens no 7 de setembro". 7 September 2021.
  16. "Bolsonaro recebe Mauricio Souza, da seleção de vôlei, em Brasília". 24 August 2021.
  17. "Maurício Souza, do vôlei, presenteia Eduardo e Jair Bolsonaro com camisa". 24 August 0316.
  18. "Jogadores da seleção de vôlei causam polêmica com suposto apoio a Bolsonaro". 15 September 2018.
  19. Alex Araújo (17 March 2022). "Após polêmica sobre sexualidade do filho do Super-Homem, jogador Maurício Souza se filia ao PL". G1. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  20. Yasmin Rajab (3 October 2022). "Maurício Souza, acusado de homofobia, é eleito deputado federal em Minas". Correio Braziliense. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
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