Former Shakhtar Donetsk captain Taras Stepanenko has joined Turkish side Euapspor as a free agent. The contract with the Ukrainian footballer is valid until the summer of 2026. This was reported by the press service of the Turkish club, UNN reports.
"Welcome. Our Euapsport has signed a 1.5-year contract with Taras Stepanenko," the statement said.
Euapspor Vice President Fatih Kulaksiz said: "I think that Taras is a very important character not only for European but also for world football. He is a very experienced player. Despite his age, he is a very good professional. Our coach Arda and our technical staff sent us their reports saying that Taras's experience will be useful to us and they believe that he will make a significant contribution to our club.
Stepanenko himself said that he was honored to be a player of Euphrates.
"I am very happy to be here. This team has great momentum for the future, they have a great coach, fans and team. I want to help make the team's dreams come true with my experience and be a part of the team," Stepanenko said.
Addendum
"Eüpspor is a Turkish club based in the Eüp district of Istanbul and playing in the Super League. It was founded in 1919. In the 2023/24 season, for the first time in its history, it won the right to enter the Super League, the highest tier of Turkish football.
The team is currently 4th in the Super League with 10 wins, 6 draws and 8 losses. The team is coached by Arda Turan, a well-known Turkish attacking midfielder in the past, under whose leadership Eüpspor won the right to play in the Super League last season.
It is also worth noting that Shakhtar's former forward Danylo Sikan moved to Turkish side Trabzanspor this transfer window for €6 million. There are also rumors that Shakhtar Donetsk winger Oleksandr Zubkov will soon become a player of Trabzanspor.
Recall
On January 30, longtime Shakhtar Donetsk captain and Ukraine midfielder Taras Stepanenko announced that he was leaving the team after 15 years with the club. During this time, Stepanenko played 439 matches and won 25 trophies.