Kairat Almaty’s Champions League qualification campaign started five weeks ago with a draw at Olimpija Ljubljana. After eliminating the Slovenian champions they did the same to Finns KuPS Kuopio, overturning a 2-0 first leg defeat, before their epic tie against Slovan Bratislava, which they won on penalties.
Kairat are the lowest seed still in the competition, but all three of their earlier opponents were seeded higher, so they are punching above their weight this season. Brendan Rodgers biggest concern will be the fitness gap between the squads. Kairat are 19 games into their domestic league, are fully fit and tactically settled. Celtic will be three competitive games into the season when the sides meet in Glasgow on Wednesday. That is a material advantage.
Despite this, there can be no excuses. Over the last three years Kairat have signed players for money only twice, for fees totalling €350k. Kazakh football does not benefit from significant investment, the country has no player development heritage to speak of and this squad has never played anywhere like Celtic Park.
Prepare correctly and get the job done, Celtic.
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CHAIRBHOY on 13TH AUGUST 2025 1:28 PM
We’ve literally had decades of CL qualification under achieving but there can be no excuses this time…
We will be a laughing stock (if we aren’t already due to our shocking transfer policy)….
CHAIRBHOY on 13TH AUGUST 2025 12:54 PM
Bournesouprecipe @ 10:41
We don’t suffer our elite coaches gladly, and if only BR had “ had an eye for a player as well. “ like wee Neil Ajeti Barkas Duffy Lennon.
The CL qualifier when we win easily, ( I haven’t seen a single post to the contrary ) will be ‘a told ye so moment’ missing the point of course, but at the moment it’s all they have, other than a guaranteed bank balance over £100M, no ambition whatsoever, and a passion for dewey eyed supporters and a Celtic run by a wee overpaid committee.
Enjoying the weather in the back garden, tickets for the Friday Falkirk Cup Tie hitting 40k 👍
Hail Hail
p.s Kerching
We reality check to BURNLEY78….
Lenny was our manager from 2019, he had a nett spend on transfers.
Ange was our manager from 2021, he had a nett spend on transfers
Between Lenny and Ange Celtic managed to sell 30 mn in players, whose players were due to Brendan Rodger mainly Odsonne Edouard and Kris Ajer.
Ange sold about 10 mn in players, he certainly didn’t buy into the Board’s player development camp, nor the HVP sales camp.
Since Ange left, Celtic have sold over 110 mn in players.
The manager and his staff are tasked to do an incredible feat in keeping these players turning over while keeping the standards and the value of the squad so high.
Brendan Rodgers has always made money for Celtic, while that is player sales, revenues, profits or player development he has done exactly what it says on the tin.
Outside DD there is not a single Board member tgat has done more for Celtic than BR.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy
Be prepared for the old “Ange left behind a great team for Brendan” one!
Remember – the team minus Starfelt, Mooy, Jota and Abada (who he only got a handful of games out of).
An Dún @ 1:41 pm,
Yes, interesting Brendan Rodgers has brought in all these crap players, but now qualifying for the UCL is a given.
Seems like the investment hits rock bottom and the expectations are sky high when Brendan is in charge, it’s like some supporters and Board members are praying for our failure…
Sorry uber-fans, not this season.
Hail Hail
Bournesouprecipe @ 1:45 pm,
Yes, exactly, I’m sure we were dead certainties for the aul’ ten in a row, what could possibly go wrong.
Hail Hail
See Lawwell puppets / muppets are still on here hoping that Brendan fails.
A utter disgrace 😡
Astonishing that is this day and age, Celtic have a trip to such a horrible desolate unwelcoming barren wasteland, that looks like times forgotten.
Only a few days after a jaunt to Kazakhstan.
BSR
😂👏👏
i think a reasonable concern is that we will be going to Ibrox after long travel from Central Asia. This may be the consequences of this “easy” draw.
This is an Important game for the destination of the League title.
But the money for CL qualifying against Europa League is more significant.
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 2:01 pm,
Yes, a team that got two points from two draws in the UCL group stage, who had earlier lost Giakoumakis, Juranovic and Jenz.
Now expected to triumph in Europe with a rag tag number of young projects, no better than the B team.
Hail Hail
Ghod bless you if you have googled ‘flights to Kazakhstan’ today!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 13TH AUGUST 2025 2:11 PM
…I was 1/2 a sentence behind you , builds the anticipation of the punchline !
HH
Tom McLaughlin on 13th August 2025 11:48 am
KEVJUNGLE
“I see it has been reported that more than 40% of those arrested during the Farage riots in Southport while fighting to protect their womenfolk had previous convictions for domestic violence.”
%
So says the media that you believe as well. lol
So nothing to say about the brutalised Irish people?
It would be happening in Scotland as well, but the historic Hun security threat keeps these types of visitors in check, but not completely.
Last week one of the visitors threatened to blow up an Aeroplane because Trump was in Scotland. lol
Farage is owned by the lobby groups just like ALL of the Westen Media and, Snp/Gre/Lab/Lib/Con/Ref/FF/FG/SF?! lol
They are all one big party of sell outs who want you to pay tax on your garden shed as it could be viewed as a potential house for the visitors. lol
Only one party will stand up to and JAIL the swamp, George Galloway’s WPB.
Yvonne “Newcastle 🏆” Ridley
@yvonneridley
39m
I think on this basis I can sue @YvetteCooperMP & @PoliceScotland for wrongful arrest along with all of my comrades in @scottishpsc @micknapier. As I suspected Cooper has lied and compromised herself. There are 540 of us who have been labelled terrorist suspects because of a bent, corrupt politician.
Jonathan Cook
@Jonathan_K_Cook
14h
Former UK ambassador Craig Murray publishes the document that proves British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has been lying about the grounds for proscribing Palestine Action: craigmurray.org.uk/archives/…
Aug 13, 2025 · 12:49 PM
https://X.com/yvonneridley/status/1955612590756778086#m
I’m sure that even bitter and twisted Nabbla/Teary Mann would agree. lol
Hail Hail to the good guys.
Well Chairbhoy @1.02, that was quite the rant. Hope you’re feeling better having got that off your chest.
To remind, I wrote: “With the resources currently available and an elite manager, Celtic have more than enough to get the job done”.
I’m loving the responses along the lines of more resources/bigger budget guarantees nothing, yet in the same breath they tell we can almost guarantee success by using our bigger budget to buy more resources 🤔
In any case: FC Kairat Almaty: Squad Value and Wage Bill (2025)
Squad Market Value
• The total squad market value of FC Kairat Almaty in 2025 is approximately €10.3M.
• Individual player market values (sample):
• Valeri Gromyko: €1.0M
• Giorgi Zaria: €900,000
• Egor Sorokin: €900,000
• Jug Stanojev: €800,000
• Dan Glazer: €700,000
• Adilet Sadybekov: €700,000
• Dastan Satpaev: €500,000
• Jorginho: Not individually listed, but squad includes several similar-value players
Wage Bill Estimates
• While the exact wage bill for 2025 is not published in search results, salary context for football players in Almaty gives useful insight:
• The average salary for a footballer in Almaty, Kazakhstan: about ₸5,624,522 per year (Kazakh Tenge).
• This converts to roughly €11,000 per player per year at current rates, though foreign and prominent players likely earn significantly more.
• Historical comments and scrutiny suggest some Kairat players can earn €30,000 monthly, i.e., €360,000 annually, especially for international stars at their peak.
• With a main squad of 25–28 players, Kairat Almaty’s estimated annual wage bill likely ranges from €2–4M, with higher outlay possible depending on negotiation and recent signings.
Source: Perplexity.
I’ll say again and remain on point: with the resources at his disposal, an elite manager should be able to negotiate this tie.
BRRB locations of pints update?
sabotage is this weeks managed decline.
Chairbhoy
Yeah – you can just picture it:
Oh Ange, you’ll lose Starfelt, Mooy, Jota and Abada but don’t worry, you’ll get Lagerbielke, Holm, Tilio and Yang as replacements. Yeah – fine, you won’t notice the difference!
Why are in for another midfielder, Irving good god we have plenty of midfielders ,FFS it’s a centre forward and 2 wingers we desperately need.
Oh for the days when AI just stood for Adam Idah.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM @ 2:37 pm,
You seem to know a lot about money and little about sport.
The tie is about who scores the most goals and concedes the least over two legs.
As Paul67 states Kairat have been punching above their weight.
My list shows that Celtic have been grossly underachieving.
Maribor – Failed to Qualify
Malmo – Failed to Qualify
Hapoel Be’er Sheva – Quailified
Astana – Qualified
AEK Athens – Failed to Qualify
CFR Cluj – Failed to Qualify
Ferencváros – Failed to Qualify
Midtjylland – Failed to Qualify
Automatic Qualification
Automatic Qualification
Automatic Qualification
Kairat – To Be Determined
There is no guarantees that we will win this tie.
It is the most important game in Kairat’s history, they should not be sneered at by arrogant westerners
They certainly won’t be by Celtic FC who will treat the opposition with respect and approach the game in a professional manner.
The hubris of this current Celtic Board and the humility of Fergus McCann getting the train to Celtic Park was startling.
This game has got to be won on the pitch.
Win, lose or draw – the Celtic PLC Board are going to come out of this very, very badly.
Their “nothing to do with us” B.S. is well past it’s sell by date.
Our manager has done all his KPIs and more.
Hail Hail
Is it a concern when an elderly Jewish lady Miriam Margoyles makes more noise in Edinburgh, on her platform, about what is really happening in Gaza than a couple of old rock stars on a revival tour in 3 nights ?
Concert decent at Murrayfield but far from the best and not quite up to the hype imo.
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 2:42 pm,
Yes, I think big Ange had their number the day Pedro walked back in the room.
The big man was off to pastures new, unlike us, he hadn’t signed up for their nonsense.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy, thanks for that insight.
So what probability would you attach to Kairat winning the tie?
Chairbhoy
Despite getting us to last 16 in CL and a vastly reduced budget first time NL was not the Celtic manager for long after the first failure.
He had taken us further than BR has in getting to last 16 in CL.
Ronny D was similarly relieved of his duties after his failure to qualify.
Both of these guys weee operating with reduced competition domestically and therefore a bigger gulf to bridge when stepping up and reduced budgets to ensure books balanced.
NL was removed during the season after his second failure to qualify.
Only Ange in season 1 of a reconstructed team survived failure beyond a season.
Are you advocating we get rid of BR should he fail ? Which I really hope we don’t.
No arrogance at all though. Simply a recognition of UEFA rankings and budget disparity.
Bournesouprecipe @ 2:49 pm,
A few months ago I read a book called Nexus, that’s about A.I. and other things.
My take away, AI will do for Britain’s middle classes what Thatcher did for the working class.
Pass the popcorn 🍿 😋
Hail Hail
Timbhoy163 on 13th August 2025 2:43 pm
“Why are in for another midfielder, Irving good god we have plenty of midfielders ,FFS it’s a centre forward and 2 wingers we desperately need.”
%
We need a manager who’ll play like a Celtic team with 2 strikers, 2 defensive midfield players, 2 wingbacks,and get the ball up the park quicker, as that was the set up last time we got to a final in Europe.
Oh, and 3 central defenders who can look after themselves.
3-5-2 got us to Seville 2003.
Tippy Tappy project development managers wullny make us a big club again.
Seats don’t make you safe, they make you boring!
Putting up bits of paper instead of putting up a scarf and singing YNWA, is for dullards, and others in the wrong movie!
Chairbhoy
Ange was totally clear on who brought him in and who he was working with.
Don’t lose sleep over that. Sadly he did the dirty on DD and much as I would have him back in an instant (for his straight talking and lack of game playing) and most importantly his enjoyable effective football, I dont think he will be back.
Burnley78 on 13th August 2025 2:55 pm
It was all about cope, remembering the 1990’s free as a bird good times, to deflect from the nowadays internet spy cage that almost everybody has been caught up in.
All of the agendas, psyops, Putin bad everybody good[Putin is the modern day Gerry Adams] the Covid Vaccine Genocide, Climate Change will be managed if your taxes go up say the lying never off of the fake media, Green/Snp/Lab/Con/Lib/Ref/etc lying grifters.
A couple of days of summer sunshine and the scandal packed BBC etc, want to shut down the sky by spraying BILLIONS of unused Covid Vaccines courtesy of the modern day santa clause, Bill Gates. lol
Always enjoy reading an article that tells me something / some things I did not already know.
Respect to you Paul
Earlier this morning …
.. I had a (playful / irreverent / childish) dig at those with a negative outlook.
If I may indulge similarly with you Pablo?
The article title is “There can be no excuses”
The last sentence of the article is “Prepare correctly and get the job done, Celtic”
I wonder how the article would have been received had you swapped the title and sentence around?
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
ehhhhh kevj –
A putin has contributed positively to people’s lives
B putin has contributed negatively to people’s lives
?
The Rangers football team went to visit an orphanage in Kazakhstan this morning. “It’s good to put a smile on the faces of people with no hope, constantly struggling and facing the impossible”
said Anatoly, aged 6.
Burnley78 @ 3:11 pm,
Ange is some sort of hero to you and Brendan some sort of Charlatan.
Yet Brendan Rodgers time at Celtic had come to an end, he sat with the Executive and Principal Shareholder and negotiated a compensation package for Celtic.
Ange was tapped up mid-season and agreed to go to Spurs, thinking Celtic would not get a thing.
DD wasn’t having it, sure Ange was on a one year rolling contract but it didn’t give him the right to speak to Spurs without Celtic’s permission.
Celtic had to go after Spurs to get the compensation.
Brendan was welcomed back.
Ange won’t be.
It’s a Celtic thing…
Hail Hail
A: can we sponsor kairat?
B: I’ve only just started watching the sopranos NOW , I’m sorry.
Burnley78 on 13th August 2025 1:01 pm
‘If we were taking money out then fine but no one is’.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Burnley 78, I don’t know the ins and outs of Management Bonuses At Celtic…..but it would be a fair shout to presume that senior staff might get bonuses tied to the bottom line. And possibly some (or all) members of the Board.
Weeron.
Chairbhoy on 13th August 2025 1:02 pm….
Well said….!
Weeron
Chairbhoy
It’s only got three Lisbon Lions in its all time greatest Celtic team shows you what it knows 😂