Aleksander Donner

Who is Aleksander Donner?

Aleksander Donner was a Ukrainian handball coach, best known as a former coach of the Portuguese handball league team ABC Braga 1991-2004, and credited as one of the main responsibles for the Portuguese handball growth in the mid, late 90s.

Before signing for ABC Braga, Donner was the assistant coach of the Russia national handball team, whose main coach at the time, Vlatschenko, recommended him to the board of directors of the Portuguese team. At Braga, Donner gained 8 national titles, 7 cups, 5 supercups and one Portuguese league opening cup, as well as a surprising 2nd place in the 1993-1994 EHF Champions League, lost in a dramatic final match against the Spanish team Teka Cantabria.

Since then, he coached other Portuguese league teams, such as Madeira Andebol SAD and Benfica.

Aleksander Donner died of a heart attack on 24 August 2013, at the age of 65.