In Russia, the championship of Kazakhstan, for many, was associated only with Sychev and Timoshchuk who had gone there. However, in recent years, local football has made a qualitative leap forward, writes the Football en Kulichkah website.

Invasion of nomads. How Astana broke into the football high society

In Russia, the championship of Kazakhstan, for many, was associated only with Sychev and Timoshchuk who had gone there. However, in recent years, local football has made a qualitative leap forward, writes the Football en Kulichkah website.

Kairat passed in the qualification of the Europa League, which now takes out everyone in a row, Crvena Zvezda, stumbling already at the last stage. Bordeaux knocked out the Kazakhs only at the expense of a goal away. And the flagship of local football made a splash at all. Astana managed to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, where, contrary to the expectations of skeptics, they did not become a supplier of points and retained chances for third place until the last minute. Along the way, the team managed to defend the championship title in a tense struggle. But Astana is only six years old. The FNK understands how a European-level club is being built in the capital of Kazakhstan.

How it all began

The global financial crisis-2008 has reached Kazakhstan. Clubs Megasport and Alma-Ata united under the common banner Locomotive, which was chosen by the railway sponsor. He also wished that the club was based in the capital. A new modern stadium was just built there, which the club now shares with the national team. To fill the 30-thousander, local stars were signed under the new team. But the main PR move was the invitation of Yegor Titov and Andrey Tikhonov. Yegor, who surrendered, played averagely, and the eternal Tikhonov tore and threw, scoring three dozen points according to the goal + pass system. The club took the “silver” in the debut season, but everything ended sadly – the veterans were thrown into the money. It was possible to get them only through the court. The following year, Lokomotiv took the Cup. Then there was the Super Cup and again the Cup, but neither the endless change of coaches, not the change of name to Astana, nor the new title sponsor helped to get closer to the coveted gold.

Way to the top

Success came to the team together with the Bulgarian coach Stanimir Stoilov. The leadership of Astana was so fascinated by the flogging that the modest Botev inflicted on the Kazakhs in the Europa League qualification (0:6 on aggregate) that they invited the opponent's coach to their club. The Bulgarian was assisted by a local specialist Grigory Babayan. This duo immediately led the team to the long-awaited championship. Staying on top is harder than climbing it. This season, torn into two fronts, Astana had to feel it on their own skin.

Stoilov kept his composure and prudence. The team lost points at the start, so the national championship was given priority. Astana for the first time in history plays in the Champions League? This did not bother the coach.Bulgarian saved leaders for a key game against Kairat, sending a mixed composition to Madrid. You can blame the mentor of the “nomads” of pragmatism as much as you like, but he is right: it would be difficult to fight for the points with Atletico on the road, but the defeat from Kairat almost deprived the chance of defending the title, and with it to the ticket to the ticket in Champions League of the next convocation. As a result, the Almaatins were beaten, and for 0: 4 in Madrid the “nomads” were rehabilitated by three draws at the finish of the tournament.

The composition of the team is far from the outstanding. The total transfer value of all who is in the application is 14.5 million, which made Astana the most budget club of all who played at the group stage. The highest price tag of Nemania Maksimovich is for a promising Serb, who replenished the “nomads” last winter, can help about 2 million. According to rumors, the Moscow “Spartak” is no longer averse to strengthening the world of the world Under 20. Georgy Zhukov also get married in several clubs – the young man went through a good school in Belgium, and at home overgrown with experience and meat.

How they did it

In fact, in the historical performance of Astana, the merit of Michel Platini and his reforms is quite great at the group stage of the Champions League. Yes, I'm talking about these routes of champions. The Kazakhstani flagship in qualifications broke the resistance of solid, but generally passable clubs: Maribor, Hick and Apoel. Not without a creak, having passed the experienced Cypriots, Astana went down in history as the first club in UEFA, a club from Kazakhstan, which was selected in the main tournament in UEFA.

A group of not very bright, but ruthlessly taking points from everyone who is weaker, “Atletico” with “Benfica”, supplemented by the equipped aging stars “Galatasaray”, looked like a verdict. However, the Kazakhs performed surprisingly with dignity. Unconditionally, they lost only in Madrid with a double, making four draws. In the second circle, Astana completed all its matches with peaceful outcomes, and in the last two missed the victory during the meeting. Stagolov’s team, of course, played from defense, giving an opponent and ball and territory. However, the Kazakhs did not stupid the bus at their gates, trying to act combinations. The Astana attacks were balanced, the team sought to use a short pass and for such a high level of counteraction showed a decent accuracy of the gears (no worse than that of CSKA, for example). The Kazakhs, like most outsiders, were among the best interceptions and won by horse martial arts, but they played cleanly. And they have few fouls and cards. The organization of the game in the attack was worse, which is not surprising.

As a rule, Astana used a common formation 4-2-3-1, although in the Champions League stalls showed tactical flexibility, using four different games of the game. As in the Premier League, in Kazakhstan all the charms of the limit. The captain and the best scorer of the “nomads” in the National Championship Tanat Nuserbaev in the Champions League played half an hour.The solid player of the foundation of the Beisebekov house in the Champions League came out only once, and then for five minutes. But Ilic and Kabananga, who appeared in the championship on the field from strength in a third of matches in Europe, were irreplaceable. I wonder if Stoilov whines at press conferences like Villas-Boas? In addition, Zhukov often played at home, but only occasionally in the Champions League, and Muzhikov – on the contrary. But this is for tactical reasons.

The results of the season were expectedly recognized as successful. The contract with Stanimir Stoilov was extended for two years. The club's budget last year was about 30 million, but the managing director of Astana's sponsor, Samruk-Kazyna, a state asset management holding, said spending on the team would be increased. The management wants Astana to regularly participate in the Champions League, for which it plans to develop the infrastructure. First of all, to build a football center. This alone will require from 20 to 50 million. In addition, the club is aware of the need to attract qualified, and therefore highly paid legionnaires. For the next season, management is asking for about 45 million. However, the club earns part of the money itself. Participation in the group stage of the Champions League brought almost 17 million. In general, don't be surprised if you will again find Kazakh nomads among the 32 lucky ones who got into the bracket of the main tournament next summer.