Why is Kairat Almaty a trip from hell in the Champions League?

Kairat Almaty surprises in Champions League.

Throughout the history of the Champions League, people have been accustomed to trips to Madrid, Munich, Milan or Manchester - where the flashy lights and rich tradition go hand in hand with the footballing class. But in the 2025/26 season, the tournament map is stretched thousands of kilometers further east.

A small dot in Almaty, a city located close to the Chinese border, has now become a destination that no one wants to set foot in. And the name Kairat Almaty suddenly makes the whole of Europe afraid - not necessarily because of its expertise, but because of its geographical distance.

A miracle written with sweat and perseverance

To reach the group stage, Kairat Almaty had to overcome Celtic - a team that has won the European Cup once and is a regular in the Champions League. Two 0-0 draws, followed by a thrilling penalty shootout victory, were a testament to the Kazakhs' tenacity. Remarkably, they did it without teenage star Dastan Satpayev, a 17-year-old who has been signed by Chelsea until 2026.

With a force consisting mostly of unknown names, Kairat still steadfastly continued. And when the ticket was secured, the whole of Europe realized: this was not just a rookie, but the most arduous challenge in terms of... logistics.

More than 5,000 km separate Almaty from the heart of Europe. For comparison, Paris to Dubai is only 4,300 km, Kabul is 4,700 km, and Yaounde in Africa is even closer at 4,800 km. But Glasgow to Almaty? That's 5,692 km - a record in UEFA history.

The emergence of Kairat Almaty forced clubs to travel long distances to face them.

The travel alone is enough to make big clubs cringe. Flying from Madrid, Munich or London to Kazakhstan can take more than eight hours, plus the time difference and harsh weather. No team wants to exhaust themselves physically for such a long trip in the middle of an already packed schedule. So when Kairat appeared in the draw, it was almost a “cursed name” that every big club wished to avoid.

Ironically, Kazakhstan is originally part of Asia. But thanks to the 5% of its territory located west of the Ural Mountains - the area considered the "natural boundary" between Europe and Asia - the country was allowed to join UEFA in 2002. From a seemingly small geographical detail, Kazakhstani football has entered Europe, and now the Champions League.

Astana made their mark in 2015, reaching the group stage and even causing Benfica and Sporting to suffer on record-breaking trips. But Almaty is even more “hellish” – being further east. This time, Real Madrid, Bayern and PSG will have the chance to “taste” that geographical advantage.

When football goes beyond the concept of expertise

No one dares to say that Kairat Almaty will go far. In terms of expertise, they can hardly compare with the giants with squads worth billions of euros. But football is not only about tactics or technique. The Champions League is also a race of endurance, of the ability to adapt to harsh conditions. And in that aspect, Almaty is a conundrum.

Remember: Benfica paid the price when they travelled to Kazakhstan in 2015/16 – winning in Lisbon but drawing in Astana. Sporting repeated the same scenario two years later. Any team drawn against Kairat now knows that, in addition to 90 minutes on the pitch, they will have to risk their fitness and form on a journey longer than Africa or the Middle East.

Kairat Almaty's appearance reminded fans that the Champions League is not just for the familiar big boys.

On the other hand, Celtic’s defeat was significant. Not only did they lose their chance to make it to the group stage, but they were also remembered as “victims” of Kairat’s historic feat. From now on, when mentioning the Kazakhstan club in the Champions League, people will immediately remember the painful fall of the Scottish representative.

Kairat Almaty’s arrival has reminded fans that the Champions League is not just for the familiar giants. It could extend its borders to Central Asia, where local audiences could now witness superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Vinicius. For UEFA, it’s a testament to its global reach. For rivals, it’s a logistical nightmare.

Kairat Almaty will not be the favourites, but they have won in another way: turning geography into an advantage, turning travel into fear. Next season, when the draw brings the big boys to Kazakhstan, those 5,692km will become a haunting number.

The Champions League has always been called “the stage of dreams”. But for many teams, the journey to Almaty will probably be like… a trip into a nightmare.

Source: https://znews.vn/vi-sao-kairat-almaty-la-chuyen-di-dia-nguc-o-champions-league-post1580352.html