The team in focus, Kairat, was established in the year 1954 and carries out their home matches at the Almaty Central Stadium, nestled in the heart of Kazakhstan. It doesn't exactly ooze the glamour of Nou Camp or Old Trafford, but it's home and they wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China.
Kairat's current playing squad is pegged at an estimated total market value of roughly around £10 million according to figures pulled from Transfermarkt. In footballing terms, a team could say that's akin to finding a packet of crisps priced at a London cinema, but who can put a price tag on passion and determination?
The Kairat team is not exactly brimming with youthful exuberance, as their squad, speckled with a meagre 13 players, strut about bearing an average age of 29. One could argue that experience is the name of their game, or perhaps they simply lack a competent scout. Either way, they're not letting the grass grow under their feet.
In the ongoing current season, Kairat have seen themselves pit against opponents across three separate competitions, including the Premier League, Champions League Qualifiers (Play-Offs) and the Champions League (League Phase). Activity breeds competition and competition breeds success — one can only hope Kairat hold these values dear as they soldier on this season.
