Toplyga club FA Šiauliai have announced the departure of Portuguese winger Rui Batalha, with the player leaving the club due to family circumstances.
The 29-year-old joined Šiauliai ahead of the 2026 season from Kazakh side Zhenis and quickly established himself as a regular starter. In his only half-season in Lithuania, Batalha made 16 Toplyga appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist. He started 15 of those 16 league matches.
In an official statement, FA Šiauliai said the club respected the player’s decision and agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent, wishing him success in the future.
For Batalha, Šiauliai represented only the second spell of his career outside Portugal. Prior to moving to Kazakhstan in the summer of 2025, the winger had spent his entire career playing in the Portuguese lower divisions.
After 16 rounds, the club sit ninth in the ten-team Toplyga table with 17 points. Šiauliai return to league action following the international break on Friday when they travel to face surprise league leaders Džiugas Telšiai.
Source: https://siauliufa.lt/rui-batalha-palieka-fa-siauliai/
