Vladimir Alekno is a Russian volleyball coach and former player who is the head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg in the 2026–27 season. He entered his third consecutive season in the role in 2026, extending a career long associated with high-pressure club and national-team projects. The St. Petersburg assignment followed a period away from full-time coaching and returned Alekno to the Russian league where much of his reputation was built.
Alekno’s defining national-team achievement came at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where he coached Russia’s men to the gold medal after a dramatic final against Brazil. He had multiple tenures with the Russian national team and also led Iran at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At club level, his longest and most successful period came with Zenit Kazan, where he won numerous Russian championships and several CEV Champions League titles, turning the club into one of Europe’s benchmark teams. His later move to Zenit St. Petersburg created a different challenge: working with an ambitious organization still seeking the trophy consistency achieved by its Kazan counterpart. Alekno’s current profile is therefore not simply that of a historical Olympic champion; he remains an active club head coach applying decades of title-level experience to another major Russian project.
Coach Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Vladimir Alekno |
| Date of Birth | 4 December 1966 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Current Role | Head Coach |
| Current Club | Zenit St. Petersburg |
| Career Status | Active coach |
| Selected Coaching Achievement | Olympic gold medal with Russia men (London 2012) |