Ukrainian top-flight club FC Zorya Luhansk announced on Thursday that Gerson Rodrigues has signed with the team. The 32-year-old striker is no stranger to Ukrainian football, having previously played for Dynamo Kyiv in 2019, where he made 33 appearances and scored six goals.
After his stint at Dynamo, Rodrigues was loaned out to Ankaragücü in Turkey and then to French side ESTAC Troyes. Although he remained under contract with Dynamo Kyiv until August 2025, the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to further loan spells abroad, and he has not featured for the Ukrainian club since late 2019.
Rodrigues could make his debut for Zorya Luhansk as early as Saturday, and in a twist of fate, the team's next match is against his former club, Dynamo Kyiv.
Currently, Zorya Luhansk sit eighth in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Due to the ongoing war, the club, based in the eastern city of Luhansk, which is now under Russian military control, plays its home matches in Kyiv, sharing Dynamo's stadium. The city of Luhansk, the capital of the eponymous region bordering Russia, remains occupied by Russian forces.
