FC Astana facts for kids
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| Full name | Astana futbol kluby Астана футбол клубы Astana Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | Sary-Kökter, Жёлто-синие (The Yellow-and-Blues) Astanalyqtar, Астанчане (The Astaneses) Qalalyqtar, Горожане (The Citizens) |
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| Founded | 2009 as Lokomotiv Astana | ||
| Stadium | Astana Arena | ||
| Stadium capacity |
30,254 | ||
| Owner | Samruk-Kazyna | ||
| General manager | Arslan Bespayev | ||
| Manager | Grigori Babayan | ||
| League | Premier League | ||
| 2024 | Premier League, 2nd of 13 | ||
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Astana Football Club is a professional football team from Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. They play in the Kazakhstan Premier League, which is the top football league in Kazakhstan. Their home games are held at the Astana Arena, a large stadium that can hold over 30,000 fans. The team's main colors are sky blue and yellow, which you can see on their uniforms and club badge. The club started in 2009 as Lokomotiv Astana and changed its name to Astana in 2011.
Astana FC is one of the most successful football clubs in Kazakhstan. They have won the league title seven times, which is a record! They have also won the Kazakhstan Cup three times and the Kazakhstan Super Cup six times.
Contents
History of FC Astana
How the Club Started (2009–2014)
FC Astana was formed on December 27, 2008. Two football clubs from Almaty, FC Megasport and FC Alma-Ata, decided to join together. The new club was first called "FC Lokomotiv Astana." This was because the national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, became their main sponsor. They decided to move the club to a brand new stadium in Astana, the capital city.
The club quickly became strong by offering good salaries. This helped them attract famous players like Andrey Tikhonov and Yegor Titov from Russia. Other well-known players also joined, including Maksim Shatskikh from Ukraine. Many players also came from other teams in the Kazakhstan Premier League.
In their first season in 2009, Lokomotiv finished second in the league. In 2010, under coach Holger Fach, they won their first Kazakhstan Cup. However, they couldn't play in European competitions yet because a club needs to exist for at least three years to get a UEFA license. In 2011, Astana won the Kazakhstan Super Cup for the first time. They won the Kazakhstan Cup again in 2012 with coach Miroslav Beránek. In 2013, Astana played in a European competition, the UEFA Europa League, for the first time. Later that year, the club joined the Astana Presidential Sports Club, which is a group of top sports teams in Astana supported by a big national fund.
Stoilov's Successful Years (2014–2018)
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In June 2014, Stanimir Stoilov became the new head coach. Under him, Astana had great success. In 2014, they played well in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. They beat teams like Pyunik, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and AIK. However, they were eventually defeated by Villarreal. On November 1, 2014, Astana won the Kazakhstan Premier League title for the very first time!
In 2015, Astana won the 2015 Kazakhstan Super Cup. A big moment came on August 26, 2015, when they became the first team from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They played against famous teams like Benfica, Atlético Madrid, and Galatasaray. They earned four points in their group with four draws. In November 2015, Astana won their second league title in a row.
In 2016, Astana played in the UEFA Champions League again but were knocked out by Celtic. However, they qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stage. On October 26, 2016, they won their third straight league championship. They also won the 2016 Kazakhstan Cup in November. In 2017, they reached another big milestone by making it to the knockout stage of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League. They also won their fourth league title in a row. Stanimir Stoilov left the club in March 2018 to coach the Kazakhstan national football team.
Recent Years (2018–Present)
After Stoilov left, Grigori Babayan became the interim manager. Later, Roman Hryhorchuk took over as manager. In 2019, the club announced a new executive director, Paul Ashworth. Hryhorchuk left in January 2020, and Michal Bílek became the new head coach.
On February 18, 2020, Astana revealed a new club logo to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Later in 2020, Michal Bílek was replaced by Paul Ashworth as caretaker manager. Then, former captain Andrey Tikhonov became the new manager. In November 2021, Srđan Blagojević took over as head coach. In September 2022, Grigori Babayan returned as the head coach.
In the 2023–24 season, Astana played in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage. They finished third in their group.
Home Stadium
Astana's home stadium is the Astana Arena. The team has played there since the middle of the 2009 season. Before that, they played at the Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Stadium. The Astana Arena can hold 30,254 people and has a roof that can open and close. The first match played at the new stadium was a friendly game where Astana won 2–1. The stadium is also used by the Kazakhstan national football team.
Team Colors and Badge
When the team started in 2009, their first badge had the name "Football Club Lokomotiv Astana" on a blue circle. In the middle was a blue letter "L," which looked like a railway track. In 2011, when the club changed its name to Astana, they got a new badge. This badge had the team's name and a picture of a football.
On January 23, 2013, the club introduced another new badge. This one looked similar to the old Lokomotiv Astana badge, with a football inside a "shanyrak" (a traditional Kazakh yurt roof design) and Kazakh patterns on the sides. The current club badge was introduced on March 10, 2014. It matches the style and colors of the Astana Presidential Club's badge. It shows the team's name, Astana Football Club, with a flying football above it.
Initially, Astana's main colors were blue and white. Their home jersey was blue, and their away kit was white. In 2012, they wore yellow and blue striped shirts. In 2013, they went back to their original colors. When they joined the Astana Presidential Club in 2013, they adopted its colors: sky blue and yellow.
Today, the team's main sponsor is Samruk-Kazyna, a big national fund. Their first sponsor was the railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. Since the club started, their kits have been supplied by Adidas. In March 2023, Astana announced that Chery would be their new sponsor, and they would switch to Nike for their kits. The club later announced they would return to their old badge after playing in the Europa Conference League.
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2014 | Adidas | Kazakhstan Temir Zholy |
| 2014–22 | Samruk-Kazyna | |
| 2023– | Nike | Samruk-Kazyna |
Players of FC Astana
Current Team Squad
Here are the players who are currently part of the FC Astana team:
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Players on Loan
Sometimes, players go to play for another team for a short time. This is called being "on loan."
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Retired Jersey Numbers
Some clubs retire jersey numbers to honor special players. This means no other player can wear that number.
| No. | Player | Nationality | Position | Astana debut | Last match | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nenad Erić |  Kazakhstan |
Goalkeeper | 12 March 2011 | 27 November 2020 |
Club Management and Coaches
Important Managers
These managers helped Astana win trophies:
| Name | Period | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
 Holger Fach |
2010–2011 | Kazakhstan Cup, Kazakhstan Super Cup |
 Miroslav Beránek |
2012–2013 | Kazakhstan Cup |
 Stanimir Stoilov |
2014–2018 | Kazakhstan Premier League (4), Kazakhstan Cup, Kazakhstan Super Cup |
| Grigori Babayan |
2018 | Kazakhstan Premier League, Kazakhstan Super Cup |
 Roman Hryhorchuk |
2018–2020 | Kazakhstan Premier League, Kazakhstan Super Cup |
| Michal Bílek |
2020 | Kazakhstan Super Cup |
| Grigori Babayan |
2022– | Kazakhstan Premier League, Kazakhstan Super Cup |
Club Achievements
FC Astana has won many important competitions in Kazakhstan:
- Kazakhstan Premier League (Top League)
- Winners (7 times): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
- Runners-up (finished second) (4 times): 2009, 2013, 2021, 2023
- Kazakhstan Cup (Main Cup Competition)
- Winners (3 times): 2010, 2012, 2016
- Runner-up (finished second) (1 time): 2015
- Kazakhstan Super Cup (Match between League and Cup Winners)
- Winners (6 times): 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023
- Runners-up (finished second) (4 times): 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021
Club Records
Here are some interesting records for FC Astana:
- Biggest win in European games: 4–0 against Maccabi Tel Aviv (October 19, 2017)
- Biggest loss in European games: 6–0 against AZ (October 24, 2019)
- Biggest win in League games: 7–0 against Atyrau (September 9, 2017)
- Biggest loss in League games: 0–5 against Irtysh (May 26, 2011)
- Most consecutive League wins: 8 wins in a row (April 7, 2009 – April 30, 2009)
- Most League appearances (games played): 277 by Abzal Beisebekov (2009, 2012–Present)
- Most appearances in all competitions: 391 by Abzal Beisebekov (2009, 2012–Present)
- Most goals scored in a League season: 19 goals by Junior Kabananga (2017) and Marin Tomasov (2019)
- Most goals scored in a season overall: 26 goals by Marin Tomasov (2019)
- Youngest player to play for the first team: Madi Zhakypbayev, at 15 years, 11 months, 21 days old
- Oldest player to play for the first team: Andrey Tikhonov, at 39 years, 9 days old
Players with Most Games Played
These players have played the most competitive matches for FC Astana:
| Name | Years | League | Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Europe | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abzal Beisebekov |
2009, 2012–present | 291 (14) | 36 (1) | 4 (0) | 10 (0) | 73 (4) | 414 (19) |
| 2 | Nenad Erić |
2011–2020 | 227 (0) | 16 (0) | 0 (0) | 7 (0) | 68 (0) | 318 (0) |
| 3 | Dmitri Shomko |
2011, 2014–2020 | 194 (7) | 8 (0) | 0 (0) | 7 (0) | 67 (5) | 276 (12) |
| 4 |  Marin Tomasov |
2017, 2018–Present | 184 (83) | 13 (3) | 3 (1) | 6 (3) | 60 (19) | 266 (109) |
| 5 | Yevgeny Postnikov |
2014–2021 | 149 (2) | 10 (0) | 0 (0) | 6 (0) | 58 (3) | 223 (5) |
| 6 |  Marin Aničić |
2014–2019 | 148 (5) | 7 (0) | 0 (0) | 5 (0) | 52 (6) | 212 (11) |
| 7 | Tanat Nusserbayev |
2011–2016 | 152 (46) | 18 (5) | 0 (0) | 3 (0) | 24 (3) | 197 (54) |
| 8 | Serikzhan Muzhikov |
2014, 2015–2019 | 122 (16) | 10 (1) | 0 (0) | 3 (0) | 54 (2) | 189 (19) |
| 9 |  Patrick Twumasi |
2013, 2014, 2015–2018 | 123 (48) | 9 (6) | 0 (0) | 4 (0) | 35 (15) | 171 (69) |
| 10 | Roman Murtazayev |
2017–2019, 2021 | 110 (25) | 3 (0) | 0 (0) | 4 (0) | 36 (5) | 152 (30) |
Top Goalscorers
These players have scored the most goals for FC Astana:
| Name | Years | League | Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Europe | Total | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marin Tomasov |
2017, 2018–Present | 83 (184) | 3 (13) | 1 (3) | 3 (6) | 19 (60) | 109 (266) | 0.41 |
| 2 | Patrick Twumasi |
2013, 2014, 2015–2018 | 48 (123) | 6 (9) | 0 (0) | 0 (4) | 15 (35) | 69 (171) | 0.4 |
| 2 | Tanat Nusserbayev |
2011–2016 | 46 (152) | 5 (18) | 0 (0) | 0 (3) | 3 (24) | 54 (197) | 0.27 |
| 4 |  Junior Kabananga |
2015–2018, 2018–2019 | 31 (77) | 3 (5) | 0 (0) | 2 (2) | 6 (44) | 42 (128) | 0.33 |
| 5 |  Foxi Kéthévoama |
2012, 2013–2015 | 26 (109) | 5 (13) | 0 (0) | 1 (2) | 2 (22) | 34 (146) | 0.23 |
| 6 | Roman Murtazayev |
2017–2019, 2021 | 25 (110) | 0 (3) | 0 (0) | 0 (4) | 5 (36) | 30 (152) | 0.2 |
| 7 | Abat Aymbetov |
2021–2024 | 23 (58) | 4 (14) | 0 (0) | 0 (1) | 2 (18) | 29 (91) | 0.32 |
| 8 |  Igor Bugaiov |
2010–2011 | 18 (57) | 6 (6) | 0 (0) | 2 (1) | - (-) | 26 (64) | 0.41 |
| 9 |  Pedro Eugénio |
2021–2022 | 18 (29) | 6 (9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (6) | 24 (44) | 0.55 |
| 10 |  Đorđe Despotović |
2016–2018 | 14 (53) | 3 (4) | 0 (0) | 0 (2) | 3 (19) | 20 (78) | 0.26 |
Goalkeepers with Most Clean Sheets
A "clean sheet" means a goalkeeper didn't let the other team score any goals in a game.
| Name | Years | League | Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Europe | Total | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nenad Erić |
2011–2020 | 96 (227) | 7 (16) | - (-) | 5 (7) | 21 (68) | 129 (318) | 0.41 |
| 2 | Aleksandr Mokin |
2016-2019 | 24 (44) | 2 (6) | - (-) | 0 (0) | 1 (7) | 27 (57) | 0.47 |
| 3 | Josip Čondrić |
2023–Present | 17 (35) | 0 (1) | 1 (3) | 0 (1) | 5 (21) | 23 (61) | 0.38 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Zarutskiy |
2021–Present | 11 (33) | 8 (16) | 0 (0) | 0 (2) | 0 (3) | 19 (54) | 0.35 |
| 5 |  Roman Gerus |
2010 | 12 (23) | 1 (1) | - (-) | - (-) | - (-) | 13 (24) | 0.54 |
| 6 | Dmytro Nepohodov |
2019-2021 | 10 (24) | 0 (3) | - (-) | 1 (2) | 1 (5) | 12 (34) | 0.35 |
| 7 | Aleksei Belkin |
2010-2012 | 5 (14) | 4 (4) | - (-) | 0 (1) | - (-) | 9 (19) | 0.47 |
| 7 | Vladimir Loginovsky |
2013-2015 | 8 (20) | 1 (4) | - (-) | 0 (0) | 0 (3) | 9 (27) | 0.33 |
| 9 | Roman Nesterenko |
2009 | 6 (15) | 1 (3) | - (-) | - (-) | - (-) | 7 (18) | 0.39 |
| 10 | Marko Milošević |
2022 | 5 (15) | 1 (3) | - (-) | 0 (0) | 0 (1) | 6 (19) | 0.32 |
Club Partnerships
FC Astana works with other football clubs to share knowledge and help players grow.
Real Sociedad (2013–present)
- Since 2013, Astana has partnered with the Spanish team Real Sociedad. They work together to share skills, organize friendly matches, and train young players.
Galatasaray S.K. (2014–present)
- In 2014, the Astana Presidential Club signed an agreement with Galatasaray Sports Club from Turkey. This partnership mainly helps the football teams of Astana and Galatasaray work together.
Images for kids
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Crest used as Lokomotiv Astana
See also
In Spanish: FK Astaná para niños
