Ukrainian midfielder of Kovalivka's "Kolos" Taras Stepanenko has ended his career in a winning match for his team against Donetsk's "Shakhtar" in the 30th round of the Ukrainian Premier League, UNN reports.
Details
Stepanenko started the match against "Shakhtar" in the opening lineup. In the 60th minute, with the score at 1:0 in favor of the Kovalivka side (Ardit Tahiri scored in the 49th minute), Stepanenko was replaced by Elias.
The player burst into tears as he left the field. Both teams formed a guard of honor for Stepanenko. "Kolos" coach Ruslan Kostyshyn presented Stepanenko with a commemorative "Kolos" jersey with the number 27, while "Shakhtar" coach Arda Turan presented a commemorative jersey with the number 439, symbolizing the number of matches the midfielder played for the "Miners".
Ultimately, the match ended 1:0 in favor of "Kolos," which no longer affects the tournament standings. "Shakhtar" finished the championship in first place, becoming UPL champions, while "Kolos" rose to 5th place, though they could still be overtaken by "Metalist-1925" and "Kryvbas".
Shakhtar becomes Ukrainian football champion ahead of schedule10.05.26, 19:07
Addendum
In January 2025, Taras Stepanenko left Donetsk "Shakhtar" after 15 years at the club.
On May 11, 2010, the midfielder signed a five-year contract with "Shakhtar" for an undisclosed fee, leaving "Metalurh" along with Serhiy Kryvtsov, who also joined the club for five years.
Stepanenko is among the top 5 players in terms of appearances for "Shakhtar," standing alongside former teammates (Darijo Srna, Andriy Pyatov) and club legends from the Soviet era (Mykhailo Sokolovskyi and Serhiy Yashchenko).
Regarding appearances during the era of independent Ukraine, Stepanenko ranks 3rd in the number of matches played for "Shakhtar." He earned 87 caps for the Ukraine national team, scoring 4 goals. He participated in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 European Championships. In several matches, he led the national team onto the field as captain.
In January 2025, he signed a contract with the Turkish club "Eyüpspor," and later this year returned to Ukraine, where he played for "Kolos".
Previously, Stepanenko had stated that he planned to end his professional career at the conclusion of the season.
Reminder
Italian coach Andrea Maldera took charge of the Ukraine national football team following the dismissal of Serhiy Rebrov. Previously, Maldera worked with the national team as an assistant to head coach Andriy Shevchenko, who currently serves as the head of the UAF.
Maldera has finalized the coaching staff that will assist him in working with the team. It includes Italian Pasquale Catalano, as well as Ukrainians Taras Stepanenko and Volodymyr Yezerskyi.