Atyrau Football Club was sold for 77 million tenge, despite its estimated value being over 250 million tenge. The deal was conducted via the Sauda electronic platform.
DEAL TERMS AND SALE PARAMETERS
According to BES.media, the starting price of the lot was 75,242,400 tenge, and the guarantee deposit was 37,621,200 tenge. The seller was the Department of Public Procurement and Communal Property of the Atyrau Region.
The tender included a number of obligations for the buyer. These include maintaining the club's profile of activity, ensuring its financial stability, and being debt-free. The buyer is also obliged to conduct an annual independent audit and report to state bodies on financial and sporting activities.
Additional conditions stipulate funding for the club's participation in competitions, maintaining men's teams in the Kazakhstan Premier League (KPL) and the second league, as well as establishing a women's team with a minimum of 25 players.
INVESTMENT OBLIGATIONS OF THE NEW OWNER
According to the terms, the new owner must build a football academy at their own expense, costing no less than 1 billion tenge. The project includes pitches, changing rooms, a medical centre, recovery areas, and a dormitory for a minimum of 50 people.
The construction completion deadline is three years. Within the first year, project and estimate documentation must be prepared and all expert examinations passed. The development of youth football is also stipulated, with an increase in the number of trainees to 1000 people within three years.
VALUATION OF THE CLUB'S ASSETS
A report from an independent valuation and legal centre indicates that the club's assets include 721 items – from furniture to sports equipment. Their total market value is estimated at over 88 million tenge.
At the same time, part of the property has been deemed unfit for use, including cabinets and office equipment, such as an HP LaserJet Pro printer. GPS trackers and strength training equipment were assessed as being in good condition.
WHY THE SALE PRICE RAISES QUESTIONS
The actual sale price is almost three times lower than the estimated value of 250,808,000 tenge. The materials do not clarify the reason for this discrepancy. Such a difference draws attention to issues of efficiency in managing state assets and the transparency of privatisation procedures.
CONTEXT
FC Atyrau was founded in 1980 and previously played under the names Prikaspiyets and Ak Zhayyk. In 2001 and 2002, the club was the silver medallist of the Kazakhstan championship, and in 2009 it won the national cup.
The sale of FC Atyrau occurs against the backdrop of an active transfer of football clubs into private hands. Earlier, in the Turkistan Region, FC Turan was put up for auction, where the starting price was almost double the book value, and the buyer was placed under obligations to maintain the club and participate in the KPL for 10 years.
Simultaneously, deals have already been completed for a number of clubs in the country: FC Kaisar transferred to private management, while the region continues to consider budget financing for the club.
Furthermore, football club Shakhter was acquired by a company from the Freedom Holding Corp. group of entrepreneur Timur Turlov, with stated investments in infrastructure and the academy.
In a series of articles, the FBRK previously raised issues regarding the efficiency of financing the football industry and club management. It was noted that despite significant budget expenditure, data on effectiveness and process transparency remain limited. Against this backdrop, club privatisation deals attract additional attention.