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Discover everything you need to know about the Kazakhstan Premier League in 2023. Teams, players, scores, history and more!
The Kazakhstan Premier League is the highest level of professional football in Kazakhstan. It was founded in 1992, just a year after Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union. The league features 14 teams, and the season usually runs from March to November.
History of the Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Premier League was first founded in 1992, under the name of the Kazakhstan Major League. However, due to financial issues, the league was suspended after just one season.
It was not until 1996 that the league was revived, and it has been running ever since. The league has undergone several changes over the years, with the number of teams increasing from eight to twelve, and the format of the league changing as well.
The most successful team in the league is Astana, who have won seven titles so far. The current champions are Kairat, who won their fourth title in 2020
Teams in the Kazakhstan Premier League
There are currently 14 teams in the Kazakhstan Premier League, with each team playing 33 games throughout the season. The teams are:
- Aktobe
- Maktaaral Atakent
- Astana
- Atyrau
- Caspiy
- Kairat
- Kaisar
- Kyzylzhar
- Ordabasy
- Shakhter
- Okzhetpes
- Tobol
- Aksu Pavlodar
- Zhetysu
Format of the Kazakhstan Premier League
The format of the Kazakhstan Premier League is as follows. According to the web search results, the league consists of 14 teams that play each other twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 26 matches per team. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned as the champion and qualifies for the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round. The second and third-placed teams qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
The bottom three teams are relegated to the Kazakhstan First Division and are replaced by the top three teams from that league.
The league uses a standard 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss system. The league also uses head-to-head results as the first tie-breaker in case of equal points.
Famous Players Who Play in the Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Premier League may not be as well-known as some of the other top-flight football leagues in Europe, but there are still plenty of talented players to watch out for. Some of the top players in the league include:
- Dembo Darboe, a Gambian striker who plays for Kairat Almaty and is the most valuable player in the league with a market value of €2.50m. He has scored 18 goals in 22 matches in the 2022 season and helped Kairat win the Kazakhstan Cup.
- Igor Sergeev, an Uzbek forward who plays for Astana and is the second most valuable player in the league with a market value of €1.40m. He has scored 11 goals in 19 matches in the 2022 season and helped Astana win their seventh league title.
- Maks Ebong, a Cameroonian midfielder who plays for Tobol Kostanay and is the third most valuable player in the league with a market value of €1.20m. He has scored 6 goals in 21 matches in the 2022 season and helped Tobol qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
- Anton Chichulin, a Kazakh midfielder who plays for Shakhter Karagandy and is one of the most experienced players in the league with over 300 appearances. He has scored 3 goals in 22 matches in the 2022 season and helped Shakhter avoid relegation.
- Daniyar Mukanov, a retired Kazakh defender who played for several clubs in the league, including Kairat, Astana and Ordabasy. He was capped 35 times by the Kazakhstan national team and scored one goal.
The Role of Football in Kazakhstan
Football is the most popular sport in Kazakhstan, and the Kazakhstan Premier League is the pinnacle of football in the country.
The league provides a platform for local talent to showcase their skills and compete against each other at the highest level. It also helps to promote football as a sport in the country and encourages youngsters to take up the game.
Sponsorship and Broadcasting of the Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Premier League has several sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Kcell, and Kairat Bank.
The league is also broadcast on television, with the rights currently held by QazSport. The league has also been broadcast on Eurosport in the past.
Challenges Faced by the Kazakhstan Premier League
Like any other football league, the Kazakhstan Premier League faces its fair share of challenges. One of the main challenges is the lack of financial resources available to the clubs.
This has led to a situation where some clubs struggle to pay their players and staff, which can have a negative impact on the league as a whole.
Future of the Kazakhstan Premier League
Despite the challenges, the future of the Kazakhstan Premier League looks bright. The league has been making efforts to increase its popularity both domestically and internationally, and has also been investing in grassroots football to help develop the next generation of footballers in the country.
Kazakhstan League Table
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FAQs
- When was the Kazakhstan Premier League founded
- The Kazakhstan Premier League was founded in 1992.
- How many teams are in the Kazakhstan Premier League
- The Kazakhstan Premier League is the first division of football in Kazakhstan and has 14 teams competing for the title this season.
- When does the Kazakhstan Premier League season run
- The season usually runs from March to November.
- What is the format of the Kazakhstan Premier League
- The league is split into two halves, with each team playing every other team once in the first half. After the 11th game, the league is split into two groups – the top six and the bottom six.
- Who are some famous players who have played in the Kazakhstan Premier League
- Andrey Arshavin, Aleksey Smertin, and Egor Titov are some famous players who have played in the Kazakhstan Premier League.
6. Who are some famous players who have played in the Kazakhstan Premier League
- The current champions of the Kazakhstan Premier League are Astana, who won their seventh title in 2022
7. Which team has won the most titles in the Kazakhstan Premier League
The team that has won the most titles in the Kazakhstan Premier League is Astana, with seven titles. They are followed by Irtysh Pavlodar and Kairat, who have both won four titles.
