The Russian Premier League season narrative featured a surprising twist in the minds of players and coaches alike. In a candid choice that drew attention beyond the pitch, Petersburg’s Zenit goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov opted for a coaching figure outside his own team’s head coach, selecting the best RPL mentor of the 2021/22 season as measured by peers and observers, yet he ultimately cast his vote for his brother Alexander Kerzhakov, who was leading Paris in the competition. This marked a striking moment for Nizhny Novgorod, which secured the 11th spot in the top flight on its debut season in the league, a fact reported by sports24 and welcomed with cautious optimism by supporters.
The ranking of top coaches for the season reflected a robust field, with Kerzhakov placing Sergei Semak in second place. The top trio was rounded out by a former Dynamo head coach, Sandro Schwartz, signaling a blend of experience and contemporary tactical thinking across the league. Semak’s performance was widely discussed among analysts, fans, and club executives who watched his team balance domestic duties with the demands of European competition.
Throughout the season, Zenit under Sergei Semak demonstrated consistency, clinching a fourth straight Russian Premier League title. The club carried that form into Europe, where their efforts in the Champions League did not reach the knockout stage; they finished tied for third in a group that included Juventus, Chelsea, and Malmö, highlighting the difference between league dominance and the tougher continental path.
Looking ahead, a marquee date was set for July 9 as Zenit’s squad prepared to face Spartak Moscow in the Russian Super Cup. That match promised to be a barometer of momentum—pitting the reigning league champions against one of their chief rivals in a trophy that carries symbolic weight for the season’s beginning.
Industry-wide chatter from team captains and coaches of the league was unanimous: Sergei Semak stood out as the best coach of the season in the RPL. He accumulated the same points as Vladimir Fedotov, CSKA Moscow’s manager, but earned the higher standing thanks to Zenit’s stronger position in the standings, underscoring the importance of both results and context in evaluating coaching excellence.
There is a recurring sentiment in the discourse surrounding Zenit’s leadership that aligns with Yuri Semin’s assessments. It is widely acknowledged that Semak’s ability to translate winning ingredients into consistent performance places him at the pinnacle of RPL coaching for that campaign, a view echoed across pundit analyses and veteran voices within the league. This convergence of opinion signals the respect Semak has earned from peers and confirms his role in shaping Zenit’s recent success.