Vladimir Alekno: ‘Russian national team is not the strongest in terms of volleyball technique’
Kazan volleyball Zenit has had a great season, having won in four out of five tournaments in which it participated. The team won the Cup of Russia, the Russian Super Cup, became the champion of Russia, the winner of the Champions League. They only failed to win once again the enchanted Volleyball Club World Championship. The editorial board of Realnoe Vremya and the chief coach of Russian national team and Kazan Zenit Vladimir Alekno summed up the results of the season, not forgetting the national team of Russia and the fighting past of the legendary coach.
100 aces of León!
The Russian national team, headed by the head coach of Zenit Vladimir Alekno, has already submitted an expanded application to participate in the World League. It is nice to see seven volleyball players of Zenit on the list among 21 players – a setter Igor Kobzar, the diagonals Maksim Mikhailov and Viktor Poletaev, the libero Aleksey Verbov, the blockers Andrey Ashchev and Aleksander Gutsalyuk, as well as a new blocker Artem Volvich.
As for the Kazan club, Zenit didn't have such harmonious squad for a long time. Any European club would be envy, and they are! You will hardly find any wing-spiker like Wilfredo León and Matt Anderson, as well as the diagonal Maksim Mikhailov. In 42 matches, León scored 697 points, 100 of which was brought by the successful serves, aces! And the duo of the liberos Aleksey Verbov — Teodor Salparov? The world level, as well as the blocker Aleksander Gutsalyuk. León, Anderson, Gutsalyuk have extended their agreements with Zenit, as well as the setter Igor Kobzar, and the blocker Andrey Ashchev. But it is not enough to make up a decent team — it is important to place the stars on the floor and steer them competently. Alekno does it best of all…
However, for Zenit, the season started with a minor note. At the end of October, in Brazil in the final of the Club World Championship, Kazan was defeated by Brazilian Cruzeiro — 1:3. But then they won the Cup, the fifth, and the Russian Super Cup, the fourth in a row. Zenit also passed the group stage of UEFA Champions League with no hassle, as well as the first round of the playoffs. At the second round, Kazan players elementary did tune in to the opponent, the Polish Skra, having lost the first match at home 2:3. But Alekno has always excelled in non-trivial tactical moves, and in the return game in Poland, Skra was stunned by the unexpected actions of Kazan who confidently won with the score 3:0, after that the head coach of Skra was resigned… In the Final Four in Polish Krakow Zenit confidently took over the host Resovia. However, in the decisive match, the Italian Trento won the first two parties over Kazan that was not 'like always'. They had to overcome heroically self-created obstacles once again, they did it in five sets. The fourth title of the strongest club in Europe.
Apparently, in the new season, Zenit will be strongly aimed at five trophies, and especially at the Club World Championship — the only tournament that Kazan cannot win. But before that, the backbone of Zenit will fight in the World League and the Olympic Games in Rio. Now, it is time to talk to Alekno…
'Zenit is waiting for one-two new players'
The head coach of Kazan Zenit Vladimir Alekno is rightfully considered to be one of the most successful coaches in the world volleyball, the work in Kazan has brought him a big part of the coaching fame. Everyone knows it. We decided to recall an Alekno-player, in the role of whom he became the USSR champion, as well as the champion of Bulgaria, the champion of France. We decided to recall the great CSKA, the sports troop of 19-year-old Alekno and the first foreign contracts…
Can this season be called as one of the most successful in your career?
I definitely can not call it unsuccessful!
I would like to clarify, in your biography there is various data – did you three of two times become the champion of Russia as a member of the Moscow CSKA from 1985 to 1987?
Three times in a row. I came to CSKA from SKA Minsk in 1984. Of course, I didn't always play in a famous club like CSKA, I was only 18 years old then, but, anyway, I participated in the matches and played somehow. I even managed to win two Champions Cups being in CSKA in 1986 and 1987…
So, you do care about the fate of this great club?
Of course. On 9 May, I talked to Pavel Borshch who fully experienced the army volleyball school of CSKA. From recent time, he is trying to revive this great club. I believe that he is doing the right job, helps many veterans of the club, who is now over 60. It will not be easy to revive such club like CSKA…
Did you, the volleyball players of CSKA, have the same base that the hockey players had, the basketball players in Arkhangelkoe?
Yes, a common base, in addition to the base-boarding house on Peschanaya Street where now is a hotel. The service at CSKA started for me in the sport-troop on the territory of large CSKA.
Were the relationships sports or purely military there, with dedovshchina (bullying)?
Sports and army. Like all the soldiers, we wore military uniforms and boots, but in the boarding house where we used to live, we wore tracksuits. I cannot say that we were a privileged audience in our sport-troop — we were not in Europe…
When you returned to Minsk SKA in the army derby against SKA (Rostov-on-Don), do you remember the striker Stanislav Shevchenko — he was 4 years younger than you, the current President of the Russian Volleyball Federation?
Of course, I do. Of course, I was older and more experienced. Then Shevchenko went to CSKA already in the role of libero, and I went to Europe because our Championship began to fall apart. By the way, many notable volleyball players are from Rostov SKA… It was an interesting team.
Did it take a long time to let the grudge go against the head coach of the USSR Nikolai Parshin, who unhooked you from the Olympic team on the eve of departure to Seoul in 1988?
To be honest, it was hard, painful, but in the end, everything has gone. And it was so long ago…
In 1990s, I played for a couple of thousand dollars
In Europe, you played in Bulgaria for Sofia Levski, in Italy for Asti and Spoleto, for French Cannes and Tours. Does that mean that Asti and Spoleto were modest teams, once you did not win with them in Italy?
Yes, small clubs, not top ones in exact accordance with club budgets, the maximum that they achieved – it is the fourth or fifth place, but for them it was a good result.
Nevertheless, you did go to such modest teams. Were was no other option?
Of course, it was not about a lucrative contract but just about the further continuation of the career. Our championship collapsed, so we went for one or two thousand dollars per month — it is the sum they paid in Italy. All it is not comparable with the current time.
Is the current level of the Championships of Italy and France comparable?
It is hard to say, I left France in 2004. But at the end of the last century, the Italian League was definitely stronger, there were many world stars. It's definitely, but now in France there is also a good championship.
You played there for five years and another five years you worked as a coach, bringing Tours to the champions of the country and winning the French Cup. Does France take a special place in your life?
Yes, of course, I spent 10 years there, the son was born there, there are many friends, memories. It is the Tours that gave me a chance, it is where I started as a coach. It is the municipality of the Tours made me an honorary citizen of the city, in Kazan I received an honorary citizenship in 2012…
We are still lagging in terms of technique
Was the transition to the coaching work, when you were 33 years old, your initiative or the club's?
The club offered, I myself wanted to, let's assume it is a joint decision — mine and of the general manager of the Tours.
Why did your son Loran quit hockey and rugby, not continuing the father's work, and now plays for the youth team of Zenit?
I didn't try to force the transition of the son in volleyball, he did not like rugby or hockey, he decided himself to do it himself, so it was his personal decision, not mine.
Five years ago in an interview you said: 'The technical side of Russian volleyball leaves much to be desired'. Now, after 5 years, do you have a different opinion?
Leaves much to be desired… Something has changed, something has not. There are players, well-prepared, with decent technique, but the majority of our volleyball players can not boast of it. Even the players of the Russian national team can add in the technique, therefore, I will repeat: we are not the strongest in terms of the volleyball technique.
Is it connected with the level of our children's volleyball, the training methods of our youth?
Yes, the starting conditions should be at a higher level.
You are the head coach of Russian national team, might your opinion change something here?
Words can change everything, I say a lot about it.
And about Zenit. After the blocker Artem Volvich, who came from Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk), will you have more new players in your team?
Volvich has already signed a contract with Zenit, the real is the transition to us of Valentin Krotkov from Ugra-Samotlor. Also, there can be one or two new ones, but these questions have not appeared yet, we are still working on the possible transitions.