These longtime rivals and participants in an epic 7-game semifinal series will face off at the start of the new VTB United League season.
Where: Kazan, Russia, “Basket-Hall”
When: October 4, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Background Story
Last season left a significant mark on the history of this rivalry. In the playoff semifinals, Zenit was one step away from advancing to the final series, leading 3-1. However, the Kazan team staged a spectacular comeback and clinched a spot in the final in the decisive Game 7 (64–55). Zenit ultimately finished without a medal, which led to radical changes throughout the organization.
A new chapter in this rivalry began in September at the United League SuperCup in Moscow, where, during the group stage, UNICS once again prevailed in a hard-fought finish—78–73. The upcoming game in Kazan is the first chance for the blue-white-and-blue team to get full revenge during the regular season.
Renewal and First Steps
The past offseason brought a major overhaul for both superclubs. The management at UNICS and Zenit didn’t stop at minor adjustments but essentially redesigned their playing styles. The teams replaced their head coaches and filled their foreign player roster spots anew.
The Kazan team added creativity and power beyond the arc to its backcourt by signing Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Brendan Adams, two stars who had excelled in the League. The St. Petersburg team responded just as strongly, completely revamping their playmaking capabilities with the addition of the dynamic Ike Iroegbu and Nate Mason, as well as bringing back experienced defender Dmitry Kulagin, who had moved to the Northern Capital from Kazan. Malik Newman was signed midway through the championship.
Both teams are currently adapting to entirely new challenges, but they’re entering the season with different backgrounds. Zenit, led by Duško Ivanović, got off to a strong start with a convincing home victory over Uralmash (92–68).
UNICS, on the other hand, is having to find its rhythm under intense pressure. After a home loss to BETCITY PARMA (88–97), Milan Karakas’ team partially redeemed themselves by giving United League newcomer Vladivostok Dynamo a rough welcome (117–75). Now, the Kazan fans are expecting the revamped team to prove its mettle under the most challenging conditions possible in a showdown against a direct rival.
The Match-up: Karakas vs. Ivanović
Perhaps the biggest intrigue of the match is the clash between two different coaching philosophies and generations.
Milan Karakas: The Croatian coach is well known to Kazan fans, having served as Velimir Perasović’s lead assistant for the past five years and played a key role in the club’s 2023 championship run. He took over as head coach this summer. Karakas has an inside-out understanding of the Kazan team’s capabilities, but as previously noted, the start of the season has been challenging for him. An unexpected home loss forced the coach to demand an immediate response from his players, particularly on defense and in the battle for rebounds.
Duško Ivanović: On the opposing bench sits the 68-year-old master of European basketball, who also took the helm at Zenit during the offseason. Ivanović has over 30 years of experience under his belt, along with championship titles in Spain, Italy, Serbia, and France. His teams are always renowned for their iron discipline, extreme toughness, and the highest standards of physical conditioning. After a turbulent 2025–26 season, Ivanović arrived in St. Petersburg with one goal: to restore the club’s stability and return it to the top.
Luka Šamanic vs. Zenit
All eyes will be on UNICS’ Croatian forward Luka Šamanic in this week’s match. Back in the spring, the 26-year-old former NBA player was playing for St. Petersburg and nearly dashed Kazan’s hopes of reaching the finals, scoring 28 points against the white-and-green team in one of the semifinal games. But by summer, Šamanić had traded his blue-white-and-blue jersey for a white-and-green one, instantly transforming from the main threat into one of UNICS’s biggest hopes on the front line.
Luka has already had a chance to “say hello” to his former team at September’s SuperCup, leading the Kazan squad in scoring with 17 points and 9 rebounds. However, the exhibition games are behind them, and now the Croatian must prove himself in the official—and far tougher—battle of the regular season.
By the Numbers
– Head-to-head record in the VTB United League: 30–26 in UNICS’ favor. In total, the teams have faced each other 64 times across all competitions (35–29 in Kazan’s favor).
– In their September 30 game against Dynamo (117–75), UNICS posted the third-highest scoring total in club history, racking up 117 points. The Kazan team’s previous high-scoring performance was recorded in an away game against MBA.
– Due to Alexey Shved’s injury, the captain’s armband at UNICS has been passed to Mikhail Belenitskii. At 24 years old, he has become the youngest captain among all teams in the VTB United League this season.
– UNICS has a 69% winning percentage at its home arena, “Basket-Hall,” in games against Zenit.
