Duško Ivanović named Zenit head coach

Duško Ivanović has been appointed head coach of Zenit BC main team. The agreement with the 68-year-old Montenegrin specialist runs through the end of the 2028/29 season.

Ivanović began his coaching career in the 1993/94 season with Swiss club Fribourg, where he combined his playing duties with the role of assistant coach. He then joined the coaching staff of Spanish club Girona before returning to Fribourg as head coach.

Over more than 30 years in coaching, Duško Ivanović has established himself as one of the most respected figures in European basketball. Throughout his career, he has led French club Limoges, Spanish teams Baskonia and Barcelona, Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, Turkish side Beşiktaş, Serbian club Crvena Zvezda, and Italian team Virtus Bologna. The Montenegrin coach has also worked with the national teams of Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From 2005 to 2008, when Ivanović served as head coach of Barcelona, Xavi Pascual was a member of his coaching staff as an assistant coach. Pascual would later become head coach of the Catalan club and subsequently take charge of Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Russian basketball fans are also familiar with Ivanović from his tenure at Khimki during the 2016/17 season. Under his leadership, the Moscow Region club reached the VTB United League Finals and won the silver medals of the Russian Championship.

The new Zenit head coach's track record includes two EuroLeague Finals appearances, an Adriatic League Final, a Korać Cup title, and national championship titles in Spain (three times), France, Italy, Serbia, and Switzerland (three times). In addition, Ivanović has won the Greek Cup, Serbian Cup, French Cup, four Spanish Cups, two Swiss Cups, and the Spanish Superсup.

Zenit BC welcomes Duško Ivanović to Saint Petersburg and wishes him many memorable victories and the achievement of the highest goals together with the Blue-White-Sky Blues!