Atletico Madrid to Open Football School in Kazakhstan to Promote Football Development in Central Asia

Atletico Madrid has officially announced plans to open a football school in Talkhall, Almaty Oblast, Kazakhstan in the fall of 2025. The school will receive “strategic support and advanced football training methods” from the club over the next decade to promote the cultivation and development of football talents in the region.

The signing ceremony was attended by Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil-Marin, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Spain Danat Musayev, and representatives of Kazakh companies involved in the project, Doscar Group and Sport Asset Management.

The football school will be modeled after Atletico Madrid’s training base in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, which features a natural grass field, five artificial grass fields, and comprehensive training facilities that can accommodate over 1,000 young people for training. This new school in Kazakhstan will provide high-level training opportunities for young football players in Central Asia and neighboring countries.

Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Spain, Musayev, stated that the project has been in preparation for a year, driven by the high demand for high-level football training and private initiatives of related companies. He emphasized that the cooperation with Atletico Madrid will bring “all-round support” to local football technology and methods, laying a solid foundation for the development of Kazakhstan’s football in the next decade.

Atletico Madrid Academy Director Emilio Gutierrez expressed confidence in this cooperation, highlighting that it is part of the club’s global expansion strategy. He noted that Kazakhstan is not only the largest country in Central Asia but also an ideal place for cultivating football talents. This new academy will become an essential base for providing high-level training for young players in the region and neighboring countries.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Atletico Madrid Football Club President Enrique Cerezo Torres. During the meeting, Torres revealed that the Atletico Madrid Academy will set up a branch at the Akbulak Olympic Center in Talkhall, Almaty, Kazakhstan.