Kairat showing futsal form in Kazakhstan

Kairat Almaty are preparing for their second straight UEFA Futsal Cup final four campaign in April and are going about it the right way after finishing eleven points clear at the top at the end of the first stage of the Kazakhstan league season.

New system
In contrast to recent league seasons, organised in a standard home-and-away fashion, all five contenders have been taking it in turn to stage week-long events where every team plays each of their rivals. The fifth of those series ended this week in Astana, and even before the last set of matches Kairat had an unassailable lead. Having been unbeaten going into those games, they ended up losing three of their four fixtures but that makes no difference for the decisive part of the campaign in which the leading quartet progress to play on a home-and-away basis between now and March. Kairat, as leaders, will begin the second stage on six points, with the next three finishers, Tulpar Karagandy, Aktyubrentgen Aktobe and Ayat Rudny, on four, two and zero respectively.

Important games
Kairat's Denis Samokhvalov is looking forward to the decisive part of the season over the next few months, which also includes the start of Kazakhstan's UEFA European Futsal Championship qualifying campaign in February. The season will culminate in the UEFA Futsal Cup final four in late April, when they will compete with hosts and holders MFK Viz-Sinara Ekaterinburg, who beat Kairat in the 2007/08 semi-finals, MFK Dinamo Moskva and Interviú Madrid.

European target
"I feel that the most important matches are under way," the 33-year-old told uefa.com. "And we are desperate to win the UEFA Cup." He was not too concerned by the three losses in Astana. "I cannot say there was only one reason for these disappointments. Some players were missing matches due to suspension, some felt tired. But I'm sure that from now on we will be in optimum shape."