Kairat
FC Kairat is a professional football club based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, founded in 1954 as Lokomotiv Alma-Ata before becoming Kairat in 1956. The club plays in the Kazakhstan Premier League and calls the Central Stadium, with a capacity of 23,804 seats, their home ground. Known as "The Nation's Team," Kairat was the leading Kazakh club during the Soviet period and the only representative of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Top League. The club has won four Kazakhstan Premier League titles, ten Kazakhstan Cups, three Kazakhstan Super Cups, and notably became the first Soviet team to win a European tournament by claiming the European Railways Cup in 1971.
History
Overview
General information about the club
FC Kairat is a professional football club that represents Almaty in the Kazakhstan Premier League, the highest level of Kazakh football. The club's home kit features yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. During the Soviet era, Kairat earned the nickname "The Nation's Team" and remains widely supported throughout Kazakhstan. The club spent 24 seasons in the Soviet highest level and was part of the Voluntary Sports Societies of the Soviet Union.
Most recent season and achievements
Kairat won the 2024 Kazakhstan Premier League and qualified for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League qualifying stage. In a historic achievement, they qualified for the Champions League league phase for the first time in their history after defeating Celtic in the playoffs 3-2 on penalties. The club made history by making the longest trip in UEFA Champions League history, flying 6,900 kilometres from Almaty to Lisbon to face Sporting CP in the first round of the league stage.
History
Early years
The club was founded in 1954 as Lokomotiv Alma-Ata on the basis of the football club Dinamo Alma-Ata, which had been developed by Nikolai Starostin, known as "the father of Soviet football" and founder of Spartak Moscow. Arkady Khokhman became the first head coach. In 1955, they were reformed as Urozhay Sports Society. On June 18, 1956, the plenary session of the Council of Ministers unanimously voted for the name Kairat (Power), apparently promoted by then leader of Kazakh SSR Dinmukhamed Kunayev.
Successful period
On December 21, 1959, the Soviet sports governing body expanded the Soviet Top League from 12 to 22 teams, giving Kairat a spot in the top division. They played their first Top League match on April 10, 1960, against Admiralteyets Leningrad, ending 0-0. The 1971 season was highly successful under Viktor Korolkov, with Kairat finishing 8th in the Top League. On November 12, 1971, Kairat won the European Railworks Cup, defeating Rapid Bucharest 2-1 in the final, making them the first Soviet team to win a European tournament. The club won Soviet First League titles in 1976 and 1983.
Crisis and recovery
As a result of Kazakhstan's independence, Kairat joined the newly formed Kazakhstan Premier League and became the inaugural champions in 1992. However, financial troubles in 1997 led to the club being divided into two teams: Kairat SHPFC and Kairat-CSKA. On March 1, 2001, Deputy Mayor Kairat Bukenov announced the reunification of the two clubs. The unified Kairat won their second domestic title in 2004 under Aleksei Petrushin. Financial difficulties in 2009 led to bankruptcy and relegation to the First Division, though they returned to the top flight as First Division champions.
Current period
In recent years, Kairat has experienced renewed success. Aleksey Shpilevsky was appointed manager in November 2018 and led the club to the 2020 Kazakhstan Premier League title after sixteen years. Kurban Berdyev was appointed manager in August 2021, followed by Kirill Keker in June 2022. The club's most significant achievement came in 2024 when they won the Kazakhstan Premier League and made their historic Champions League debut.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
Kairat has won the Kazakhstan Premier League four times (1992, 2004, 2020, 2024) and holds the record for Kazakhstan Cup victories with ten titles (1992, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021). The club has also claimed three Kazakhstan Super Cup titles (2016, 2017, 2025) and one Kazakhstan First Division championship (2009). During the Soviet era, they won the Soviet First League twice (1976, 1983) and captured the USSR Federation Cup in 1988.
Continental and global competitions
Kairat made history in 1971 by becoming the first Soviet team to win a European tournament, claiming the European Railways Cup by defeating Rapid Bucharest 2-1 in the final. In 2024, the club achieved another milestone by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time, reaching this stage after defeating Celtic in the playoffs.
Symbols and Colors
Traditional home and away kits colors
Kairat's traditional home kit consists of yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. This distinctive color combination has been associated with the club throughout its modern history and remains their primary identity on the pitch.
Traditional Rivals
FC Astana
Kairat's strongest rivalry is with FC Astana. Among fans, their matches are considered as the Two Capitals Derby, representing the sporting rivalry between Kazakhstan's two major cities, Almaty and the capital.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Nicknames
Kairat earned the nickname "The Nation's Team" during the Soviet period when they were the leading Kazakh club and the only representative of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Top League. The team's defensive playing style in the 1960s led to them being nicknamed "Kairat Concrete" by Soviet press and fans, an epithet associated with the club for decades.
Stadium
Kairat plays their home matches at the Central Stadium, which has a capacity of 23,804 seats. Construction began in 1956, initiated by then leader of the Kazakh SSR Leonid Brezhnev, who personally chose the location. Architect Adambay Kapanov modeled the stadium after the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, earning it the nickname "Small Luzhniki." The stadium was commissioned in 1958, with the first official match held on April 10, 1960. Originally seating around 35,000 people on wooden benches, the stadium was renovated in 1997 with individual plastic chairs reducing capacity to its current size. In 2015, the stadium was transferred to Kairat's ownership in exchange for 30% of the club's shares.