Rostov Coach Onopko Calls Jonathan Alba Half-Russian
Jonathan Alba took over as head coach of FC Rostov in early 2025 after serving as an analyst.
Former Russian national team defender Viktor Onopko called Rostov«s head coach Jonathan Alba half-Russian.
«Jonathan has been in Russia for not the first year. He has been working in Rostov for almost eight years now. One can say that he is half-Russian. His children speak Russian even better than I do.
He has already studied the mentality. Jonathan wants there to be good discipline and atmosphere in the team — that«s very important. The guys fulfill all his requirements and listen. We convey to the players that by adhering to weight and regimen requirements, they can improve,» said Onopko on Match TV.
Jonathan Alba has worked as an analyst at Rostov since 2018. In February 2025, after Valery Karpin«s departure, he became the team»s head coach. Under him, the team reached the Russian Cup Superfinal, where they lost to CSKA in a penalty shootout.
