France: Poitiers turn to Gabriel Bertolini as medical replacement for Lukas Maase

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Alterna Stade Poitevin have moved to strengthen their middle-blocking department, announcing the signing of Brazilian middle blocker Gabriel Bertolini as a medical replacement for Lukas Maase.
The German international will continue his rehabilitation in Germany after suffering another shoulder dislocation at the beginning of the season, leaving Poitiers to look for an experienced reinforcement as the campaign progresses.

Bertolini, 29, arrives with considerable experience in Brazilian volleyball and a previous spell in Europe. Standing at 2.05 metres, he is no stranger to French volleyball, having represented Tourcoing during the 2021/22 season. He subsequently moved to Portugal, spending the following campaign with Sporting Clube de Portugal before returning to Brazil in 2023.
His career had initially taken a different direction for the 2026/27 season. After two seasons with Itambé Minas, he had agreed to join Goiás, but the opportunity to return to European competition has now brought him back across the Atlantic, this time wearing the black and white colours of Stade Poitevin.
The Brazilian has built an impressive domestic record throughout his career. With Itambé Minas, he lifted the Brazilian Cup in the 2024/25 season, adding another major honour to a résumé that also includes two Brazilian Championship finals, in 2017/18 and 2018/19, with São Paulo-based teams, as well as several regional titles with the different clubs he has represented. He also came through Brazil’s youth national-team programmes, gaining experience within one of the country’s most established volleyball systems.

For head coach Dan Lewis, his arrival offers both depth and experience in the middle of the net. He joins a group that already includes three promising middle blockers, providing another option in a position where consistency and physical presence are particularly important over the course of a demanding season.
For Bertolini, meanwhile, the move represents an opportunity to resume his European adventure and make another contribution to French volleyball. Having previously experienced the French league with Tourcoing, he returns with greater maturity and a substantial list of domestic achievements, ready to take on a new challenge in Poitiers.

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