Football club ‘Atyrau’ has become the centre of discussion following reports about its financial situation and personnel changes.
According to the Telegram channel ‘Halyqstan’, amidst debts and poor sporting results, the club recorded salary increases for its administrative and coaching staff.
It is reported that since the start of the year, the salaries of the following club employees have increased:
- team manager — from 900,000 tenge to 1.2 million tenge in January, and from February up to 2.4 million tenge;
- head coach — from 3 million to 5 million tenge;
- assistant coach — from 1.8 million to 5 million tenge;
- fitness coach — from 1.5 million to 2.3 million tenge;
- goalkeeping coach — from 1.5 million to 3.3 million tenge;
- physiotherapist — from 500,000 to 900,000 tenge;
- team administrator — from 600,000 in January to 1.2 million tenge in February;
- video operator — from 600,000 to 1.2 million tenge;
- chief accountant — from 500,000 to 900,000 tenge;
- general manager — from 1.1 million to 3 million tenge, against a limit of 2 million tenge.
Meanwhile, the team's football players did not receive their wages from the start of the year until March. The salaries of coaches and specialists from the youth teams were increased by only 100,000 tenge, and second league players earn around 150,000 tenge.
Despite the existing ban on financing foreign players from the budget, since the start of the year the club has signed contracts with 8 foreign footballers. It is noted that their actual salary may exceed 3 million tenge, even though official documents state amounts around 200,000 tenge. Journalists believe that part of the payments are made unofficially.
It is also reported that this year the club expects funding from UEFA amounting to around 100 million tenge. In connection with this, the club's management has entered into two loan agreements — for 25 million tenge and 73 million tenge, with an obligation to repay the funds within a month and established penalty fees for late payment.
As it became known, the first loan was used to pay off debts to players and staff, and the second was for the purchase of sports equipment from a single source. This purchase is currently under investigation.
Despite this, over the last five matches, the team has achieved only one victory and suffered four defeats. For example, on 16 April in Almaty, FC ‘Atyrau’ lost to FC ‘Kairat’ with a score of 0:4. After the match, an altercation broke out between the fans and the team captain.
Meanwhile, the club's manager Didar Sadybek previously announced his intention to leave his post. In a social media post, he noted that he made the decision of his own free will.
“I hold no grudge, no one is forcing me to leave. I had hoped it would be easier. I am used to the fact that wherever I have been, key decisions were made taking my opinion into account. From now on, I will not go where I am not wanted,” he wrote.
After this statement, numerous comments in support of him appeared on social media, including from the parents of the club's youth players.
The club itself officially commented on the situation, stating that Sadybek continues to fulfil his duties as manager. Incidentally, recently football club ‘Atyrau’ was transferred to state ownership.
For context, earlier the football players, coaches and staff of FC ‘Atyrau’ threatened the regional department of physical culture and sports that they would boycott the match against FC ‘Aktobe’, scheduled for 30 March, if their three months of delayed wages were not paid.
It was reported that the club's employees were in a difficult financial situation: they could not pay their loans or support their families. The workers blame the head of the sports department, Nurbol Sudykov, who allegedly does not allocate funding to the club from the regional budget.
At the time, the department of physical culture and sports explained that the reason for suspending funding was numerous violations in the club's activities, uncovered by the regional prosecutor's office. Incidentally, the football players of ‘Atyrau’ did go ahead with the match against FC ‘Aktobe’, but lost the game with a score of 0:4.