The Champions League group stage match between Kairat and Olympiakos, originally scheduled for 9/12 in Almaty, was moved. The home team and organizers agreed to relocate the game to Astana, more than 1,200 km away.
This change resulted in a significant temperature drop. While Almaty recorded -2 degrees Celsius, Astana experienced a frigid -20 degrees Celsius. According to Marca, this marks the lowest outdoor temperature ever recorded during a Champions League match.
The unusual venue change was primarily due to infrastructure limitations. Kairat’s home ground, Central Stadium in Almaty, owned by the club since 2015, has a capacity of approximately 23,000 spectators. It is an open-air stadium with a running track and only one covered stand. Consequently, bitterly cold winds at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level in Central Asia could sweep in from all directions.
In contrast, Astana Arena is a fully enclosed stadium featuring a retractable dome roof that can open or close in just 20 minutes. Supported by massive steel frames on four corner pillars, this stadium was renovated over a decade ago. It can maintain normal playing conditions and protect spectators from Kazakhstan’s biting winter cold.
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Heavy snow covered Astana Arena, but with the dome closed, players could still compete normally inside the stadium. Tribuna |
Heavy snow covered Astana Arena, but with the dome closed, players could still compete normally inside the stadium. Tribuna
Therefore, despite the outdoor temperature in Astana being -20 degrees Celsius, the stadium’s interior remained warmer, allowing both teams to play normally. However, even accustomed to cold weather conditions, Kairat lost 0-1 to Olympiakos, who had undertaken their longest group stage journey, traveling over 3,200 km.
Making their Champions League debut, Kairat played two previous matches at their familiar Central Stadium in September and October before temperatures dropped. They lost 0-5 to Real Madrid and drew 0-0 against another tournament newcomer, Pafos.
Kairat currently sits last in the 36-team group stage with only one point. Meanwhile, Olympiakos, with their first victory, now has 5 points, climbing to 29th place and trailing qualification by one point.
