Former Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko revealed that he wanted to leave the club due to the launch of a full-scale war in Ukraine, but Igor Jovićević persuaded him to stay.
Taras Stepanenko (photo: gettyimages.com)«Shakhtar» was in training camp in the Netherlands. I arrived there earlier than other players, returning from Spain, where I was visiting family who fled the war. And, as it turned out, I saw my new coach. Jovićević was sitting next to Darijo Srna, our sporting director.
He asked me to sit down and said: «You will be my right hand.» These words influenced my future. At that time, I was dealing with serious questions. I wanted to leave Donetsk Shakhtar, as the war was in the background... However, Jovićević convinced me to stay. And I do not regret it, because we experienced many wonderful moments together," Stepanenko said.
