Zenit's Champion Coach Semak Named Best Manager of the Russian League

The awards for the 2025/26 season of the Russian Premier League (RPL) found their owners in a magnificent ceremony held on 9 July. According to the official statement made by the organizing body, the winner of the best manager award of the season was Zenit's head coach Sergey Semak. The season in which Semak achieved this great success also went down in history as a season full of consecutive championships for Zenit. Semak took first place as a result of the voting, which involved league officials, captains, managers, journalists, and fans. This award means that Semak's outstanding achievements in Russian football and the stability in his managerial career have been once again certified.

Among other candidates who competed fiercely for the award were Baltika's experienced manager Andrey Talalayev and Krasnodar's young and successful coach Murad Musayev. Both managers led their teams to great achievements throughout the season and put in much better performances than expected. However, the quality of play Semak displayed throughout the season and his team's consistent performance allowed him to easily pull away from his rivals. He collected the highest score as a result of the widely participated voting process formed by league officials, sponsor company representatives, and media members. The award ceremony was held in a prestigious environment where important figures of Russian football came together.

In the crucial match played in the last week of the season, Zenit defeated Rostov 1-0 to reach a happy ending and took the Russian championship to its museum for the 11th time. While this championship stands out as one of the greatest successes in the club's history, the prestigious atmosphere brought by finishing the league as leaders was bestowed upon the team. The team that finished the league in second place was Krasnodar, who fell just two points behind the champions. Krasnodar's heating up the race until the very end made the final weeks of the season full of excitement. However, thanks to its experienced squad and Semak's tactical intelligence, Zenit once again cemented its success and maintained its leadership.

Sergey Semak's managerial career at Zenit represents a golden era that began when he took office in 2018. During this period, the team won the Russian championship exactly seven times, establishing an overwhelming dominance over its rivals. Alongside the championships, they achieved the success of reaching all trophies by taking the Russian Super Cup five times and the Russian Cup two times to their museum. Along with these statistics, Semak stands out as the manager who has won the most trophies in the history of the Sankt Petersburg club. His vision and disciplined working approach have made Zenit one of the most respected teams not only in Russia but also in Eastern Europe.

Following the successful season, eyes have already turned to the Russian Super Cup, which is the first official match of the new season and is again considered a prestigious one. On 18 July, Zenit and another strong team, Spartak Moscow, will compete fiercely for the 2026 Russian Super Cup. This match is described as a clash that always attracts great attention and is eagerly awaited in Russian football. The rivalry between the two strong teams creates an exciting atmosphere for football fans before the season. Semak and his students want to experience the pride of starting the season with a trophy again by winning this important match.