There are many Real Madrid fans in Kazakhstan, and Kerat expects Chinese fans to be present

Hupu September 30th News TheAthleticUK reporter team went deep into Kazakhstan to explain in detail Kerat welcomed Real Madrid.

Because Real Madrid is visiting, Keirat Club faces unprecedented media pressure. Last week, they screened out 500 media certification applications from countries including Russia, Spain and Mexico to match the 35 places reserved for media by UEFA and broadcasters at the Central Stadium in Almaty.

The 20,800 tickets they sold last Tuesday were sold out soon - not surprising given Real Madrid's appeal in the region.

"In Kazakhstan, one out of five is a Real Madrid or Barcelona fan," said Yaksigulov. "Every child in every family has a jersey from Barcelona or Real Madrid. They really like all the players, even the second and third teams - they know Real Madrid's No. 3 goalkeeper."

This could create an interesting atmosphere on the court, and many Madrid fans are expected to come from neighboring countries including China to watch the Real Madrid game led by Xavi Alonso.

There is another additional motivation for Kylat club 17-year-old striker Dastan Sartpaev - he has agreed to join Chelsea for 4 million euros (£3.5 million, $4.7 million) next year, when he will turn 18.

The locals are so interested in Madrid that the Keirat club decided not to allow fans to enter to watch the UEFA Youth League U19 match between the two clubs this afternoon because they fear that too many fans will be distracted.

Analyst

Last week, TheAthletic interviewed Alexander Kotlyar, a performance analyst at the Keirat Club. He said that at the time his focus was to "analyze opponents, develop tactical plans, and consider their strengths and weaknesses."

At least before Real Madrid lost to Atletico Madrid, an obvious question is: What are their weaknesses?

"We hope to find it, but I doubt it," replied Kotliare, 42, with a smile.

Kotliare is responsible for studying the team's physical data and mental status, and is also a translator between head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin and the team's English-speaking players.

He has been working at Kylat since 2013 and initially served as a youth training coach, so he knows the significance of Mbappe and his teammates to Kylat.

"This is a great moment in our history. Not only for the clubs, but for our country," he said. "It's another rhythm, another rhythm - they're players from another planet."

Cotliare said he and his coaching staff will prepare for the same as they were preparing for other games, but also admitted that they might adjust the players' regular positions. He would not say whether this means they will try to suppress Alonso's team. Viktor Yaromenko, the Ukrainian venue manager for the

Stadium Management

club, has been busy making sure the lawn is in its best shape after the backstreet boys concert.

His work includes ventilating the lawn before a concert, applying chemicals to inhibit growth and preventing diseases. After the concert, he and his five-player team (five people will join on the day of the game) re-ventilated, fertilized the lawn, and trimmed and cleaned the court.

38-year-old Yaromenko was involved in the venue preparations for the Kiev Olympic Stadium in the 2018 Champions League final, when Real Madrid was competing for the championship with Liverpool.

He still remembers the last time when Cristiano Ronaldo walked through the player channel as a Real Madrid player before transferring to Juventus that summer.

"I know how Real Madrid feels when playing on your stadium," said Yaromenko. "But for this city, for this country, it's great because (with) the best clubs coming to us."

Last Wednesday, UEFA inspected the mixed lawn in Keilat (a mix of natural turf and synthetic fiber) - a lawn that is more similar to other European stadiums than other stadiums in Kazakhstan.

Aromenco said the stadium was damaged in the qualifying match against the Celtics after Jennifer Lopez's concert in early August, but he was happy with the condition of the lawn tonight's game.

"If no one has any opinions on the court, it means everything is normal," he said.