The long-awaited football match between Kazakhstan’s Astana and London’s Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League group stage took place on Dec. 12 in Almaty. The game brought together fans from across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and London. Kursiv LifeStyle’s correspondent couldn’t miss this remarkable event and shares his impressions.
Overview: Chelsea in Almaty and fan reactions
Shortly before the game, Chelsea began sharing photos of Almaty on its official X account (formerly known as Twitter). The page was soon filled with images of the Kok Tobe cable car, snow-covered parks and the iconic Ascension Cathedral.
At the same time, a controversial poster held by a foreign fan surfaced in the media. It featured the main character from the movie “Borat,” which quickly sparked an outcry among Kazakhstanis.
The British club also faced its share of criticism. Social media users called out the «Blues» for not fielding prominent players for the match, instead opting to play their youth team or the so-called «reserve team» against Astana.
However, the «reserve players» didn’t lack motivation, as each of them is fighting for a spot in the club’s starting eleven. Astana also tried to give it their all, needing to secure at least 24th place to advance to the next stage of the Conference League. The Kazakhstani team is currently ranked 29th.
Organization and harsh weather conditions
Shortly before the match, streets around the stadium were closed, and 80 bus routes were launched to ensure fans could return home easily after the game.
A special atmosphere filled the air at the entrance to the stadium. The fans rushed to secure their spots in line, while ticket scalpers scurried about, closely watched by hundreds of policemen. On this day, there seemed to be more police officers present than at a regular football match in Almaty.
The line moved quickly, taking no more than 15 minutes, but finding a seat turned out to be an ordeal. The seating areas themselves were disappointing, as the aisles were covered in snow and, in some places, even ice. As a result, hundreds of people were losing their balance and literally falling into their seats.
Not to mention, the seats themselves were also covered in snow, along with their numbers. Fans had to search for their seats as if they were looking for a needle in a haystack.
Later, the Almaty Sport Facility Management issued an apology for the incident. The stadium manager, Bauyrzhan Zhumazhanov, was even dismissed from his position. However, dismissal from office is not the same as being fired; it means temporarily preventing an employee from performing their duties. As such, Zhumazhanov is likely to return to his role soon, as this is not a permanent discharge.
Grim conditions
The stadium set up tents offering food, beverages and heating pads, which proved to be extremely useful in the cold. The temperature in Almaty dropped below -10 degrees Celsius that day.
A legitimate question arises: why wasn’t the Astana team’s match held at the Astana Arena? This indoor stadium maintains a comfortable temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, while at the open-air Almaty Central Stadium, both fans and players had to endure the freezing cold, ultimately being exposed to the forces of nature.
The reason lies in the ongoing reconstruction of the Astana Arena, which began in December 2023. Although Astana’s governor’s office pledged to complete the work by December 2024, the club had already chosen the Almaty Central Stadium as the main venue for this European season.
In the end, Astana lost 1-3, with the only goal coming from Croatian player Marin Tomasov. For Chelsea, goals were scored by Spain’s Mark Guiu and Portugal’s Renato Veiga, while Kazakhstani defender Aleksandr Marochkin deflected the ball into his own net.
