Why is the Kairat match being played

The 6th stage of the Champions League starts today with a real “matinee”. UEFA scheduled the duel between Kairat Almaty and Olimpiakos Piraeus from 17:30 Romanian time. Bayern – Sporting is played at 19:45, and the rest of the games are scheduled from 22:00.

The time zone difference was decisive

One of the reasons why the match moved to Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, is being played so early is the time zone difference. The Kazakhs are four hours ahead of us, so it will be 21:30 for them when the referee blows the whistle to start the game.

If the game had been played from 19:45, for example, in Astana it would have been 23:45, and UEFA does not allow the start of a Champions League match to take place later than 10:00 p.m.

The match was moved from Almaty to Astana due to problems with the stadium during the winter

Regarding moving the match from Almaty to Astana, Kairat explained what the problems are at this time of the year: “Experience with winter matches at the Central Stadium in Almaty shows that low temperatures, lack of a roof and the risk of snow significantly complicate conditions for fans and complicate the maintenance of the field.”

Consequently, “to ensure the comfort and safety of the spectators, it has been decided that the matches will take place in a closed stadium.” The match against FC Bruges, scheduled for January 20, also at 17:30, will also take place in Astana, not Almaty.

It was minus 21 degrees Celsius in Astana, at 12:00, Romanian time!

It snowed in Astana, the snow is 8 centimeters thick and today, at 12:00, Romanian time, it was minus 21 degrees Celsius. Felt temperature: minus 32 degrees Celsius! And as time passes, it is expected to decrease.

Olympiakos' youth team failed to cope with the adverse conditions and were beaten 2-0 by Kairat in the Youth League.