Overview

• UEFA’s draw set up marquee meetings for Kairat Almaty against Real Madrid, Inter and Arsenal, with additional league‑phase fixtures versus Sporting, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Copenhagen and Pafos.
• Coach Rafael Urazbakhtin welcomed the chance to face European giants and cast his side as underdogs determined to compete.
• The Kazakh club will be the easternmost team ever to play this phase, with Almaty less than 300 kilometers from China’s border.
• Kairat reached the competition by eliminating Celtic on penalties to secure its first‑ever place in the Champions League league phase.
• Owner Kairat Boranbayev retains control of the club despite a 2023 conviction for misappropriation that was resolved through a large compensation agreement.