Stepan Atayan

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stepan Atayan

| image =

| image_size = 220

| fullname =

| height = {{height|m=1.73}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|7|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union

| currentclub = Proodeftiki (assistant manager)

| clubnumber =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1976–1984

| youthclubs1 = Neftchi Baku PFK

| years1 = 1989–1991

| years2 = 1991

| years3 = 1992

| years4 = 1993–1997

| years5 = 1997–1999

| years6 = 1999–2000

| years7 = 2000–2001

| clubs1 = Köpetdag Aşgabat

| clubs2 = Sogdiana Jizzakh

| clubs3 = Temiryulchi Qoqon

| clubs4 = Neftchi Farg'ona

| clubs5 = Proodeftiki

| clubs6 = Chalkidona

| clubs7 = Atromitos

| nationalyears1 = 1995–1996

| nationalteam1 = Uzbekistan

| nationalcaps1 = 9

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2024

| managerclubs1 = Proodeftiki

}}

Stepan Atayan ({{langx|ru|Степан Атаян}}; born 13 July 1966) is a retired Uzbek international football player who played as a midfielder and was awarded in 1993 as one of the three Best Footballers of the Year. He is currently the assistant manager at Proodeftiki in Greece.

Club career

Atayan began playing football in the Soviet Second League with Neftchi Baku PFK and Köpetdag Aşgabat. He joined Uzbek League side Neftchi Farg'ona in 1991. Atayan left Uzbekistan and moved to Greece in 1995. He continued his career with Proodeftiki, playing 4 seasons in the Greek Super League for the club.{{cite web|author=Mastrogiannopolis, Alexander |title=Greece 1998/99 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/grk99.html |date=26 April 2003 |url-status=live |website=RSSSF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108193819/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesg/grk99.html |archive-date=January 8, 2009 }} He joined Chalkidona F.C. in 1999, where he won 2 cups. He finished his football career in Atromitos F.C. in 2001.

International

He was on the Uzbekistani squad at the 1994 Asian Games{{cite web|title=Asian Games 1994 (Hiroshima, Japan)

|website=RSSSF

|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/asgames94.html|accessdate=31 July 2020}} and made his full debut for Uzbekistan on 18 July 1995 at Merdeka Cup against Hungary won 3:2 by Hungary. Atayan made 9 appearances for the Uzbekistan national football team, including three appearances at the 1996 AFC Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates.{{cite web|author=Stokkermans, Karel|title=Asian Nations Cup 1996 Details – Extended File|website=RSSSF|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/96asch-ext.html|date=15 December 2006}}

Coaching career

After finishing his football career, Atayan continued with a coaching career. He possesses both the AFC coaching diploma and the UEFA category B coaching license diploma in Greece. He began coaching professionally youth football academy U13, U15, U17, U19. Afterwards, he coached in various football teams including Copa Renti SC owned by Nikos Karoulias in 2001–2004, Fostiras F.C. in 2004–2005, Kallithea F.C. B League in 2011–2012, Proodeftiki in 2012–2013.