UEFA President highlights football progress in Kazakhstan during Astana visit
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin paid his first official visit to Kazakhstan and Central Asia, marking the occasion on Kazakhstan’s national football day. In an exclusive comment to the Silk Way TV channel, Čeferin shared his positive impressions and discussed the potential for future cooperation between UEFA and Kazakhstan, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
“I see that President Tokayev is a big sports fan. He likes football, and that’s very important for the head of the state,” Čeferin said, following his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “We spoke a lot about Kazakh football, European football, about how to develop Kazakh football.”
Discussions centered on improving infrastructure in Kazakhstan — a key step toward hosting major international football events. “We agreed that infrastructure is a very important thing, and the president said that they will build some new stadiums here in Kazakhstan,” he noted. “Of course, if the infrastructure is right, I would be more than happy to come for an event here.”
Čeferin confirmed the possibility of organizing important UEFA matches in the country and even mentioned the idea of holding the UEFA Congress in Kazakhstan. “We discussed if the infrastructure would be better, we can organize some important matches and... the UEFA Congress.”
He also emphasized UEFA’s commitment to supporting Kazakhstan’s football development. “We have different programs where we fund infrastructure in our member associations and we will do it here as well. Of course, we’ll help with funding, we’ll help with experts. I think we should now start cooperating as close as possible.”
Highlighting Kazakhstan’s growing potential, Čeferin said: “I see your national team improving. I see that you have some young players who are super talented, and now it's the time to improve.”
On the topic of women’s football, Čeferin reaffirmed UEFA’s commitment to invest €1 billion into the women’s game by 2030. “Of course, all 55 associations will get a share of this investment, and I hope your team qualifies as soon as possible,” he stated.
Reflecting on his visit, Čeferin expressed optimism: “It’s already great now, but I expect it to be even stronger.” He concluded, “It’s a great honor, and the meeting was very pleasant. I would like to thank again Mr. President for having us here.”
Earlier, it was reported that President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin in Astana.