Courtesy: UEFA.com


Kairat plot repeat success

Thursday, 30 November 2006

by Timur Kamashev

from Almaty

With the Elite round of the UEFA Futsal Cup getting under way from Monday, uefa.com has been taking a closer look at each of the 16 sides involved. Today we end our profiles by featuring 2005/06 semi-finalists Kairat Almaty, who travel to Budapest to play hosts Futsal Club Gödöllö, Spanish champions El Pozo Murcia FS and FC Dorozhnik Minsk in Group D, with only one final four place on offer.

National dominance
Kairat are undoubtedly the dominant force in Kazakh futsal; indeed, when the national team recently played a league selection it was effectively a club training match. In the Premiere League, which they are bidding to top for the fourth year running, they have won all 12 matches so far, scoring 90 goals, and hold a 15-point advantage over their nearest challengers. They have also won their three Kazakhstan Futsal Cup matches so far, and hope to lift the trophy for the third season in succession on 16 December in the two-day final four competition.

President's backing
Previously known as Kaynur, they took their current name in 2001 in honour of businessman Kairat Orazbekov, who helped found the club and is now their president. His finances are behind their huge success, the biggest of which came last season in the UEFA Futsal Cup. Their debut in 2004/05 was creditable, comfortable wins against MNK Split and KMF Skopje not enough to prevent a first qualifying round exit after losing 5-4 to Dorozhnik - a game where Kairat came back from 3-1 behind to lead, only for Choco to equalise with an own goal with a minute to go after which Vasili Varnin struck a dramatic winner.

Semi-final run
Last term, though, Kairat strolled through the opening stage, defeating Dorozhnik among their three comfortable victories, and then began the second qualifying round with a 3-3 draw against Group A hosts SL Benfica thanks to two second-half Yuriy Butrin goals. Though they then lost 5-2 to Boomerang Interviú, a 5-1 defeat of Belgium's Cristal Noir MB Morlanwelz allowed Kairat to progress ahead of 2003/04 finalists Benfica. MFK Dinamo Moskva proved a step too far in the semi-finals, winning 3-0 in Almaty and 5-2 at home, but Kairat's achievement, Kazakhstan's best in any UEFA competition, drew widespread attention. The tie was televised nationally and the home leg was moved to the 4,000-capacity Baluan Sholak Sport Palace, proving an instant sell-out.

Brazilian spine
Not only do Kairat boast local legend Alexandr Bondarev, who helped Kazakhstan to the 2000 AFC Futsal Championship before the switch from Asia to UEFA, but also experienced Brazilians Cacau, Etienne and Vaguinho - veterans of last season's run - and new signings Mucado and Pica Pau, who both scored in the Main round as they defeated Slov-Matic Fofo Bratislava and KMF Partizan Sarajevo and drew 2-2 with Italy's Arzignano Grifo C/5. Former Brazilian international Saab Faisal became coach this summer, having at one stage led Spanish club Playas de Castellón FS.

Step up
Faisal said: "Kairat have high quality players. However, some of them will need to find their form before the UEFA Futsal Cup starts. We hope to delight our fans but we have decent competition. El Pozo Murcia are favourites." Bondarev added: "We base our preparations on the domestic league but the UEFA Futsal Cup Elite round will be much more difficult, we know that from our experience last year. There will be no outsiders. Besides other teams will be very determined when they play against us as we were in the semi-final."



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com