Very soon the European Competitions season 2020/2021 will a long road, and despite all the problems and troubles regarding the quarantine due to the Corona virus pandemic in our country, we will all be watching with bated breath the performances of representatives of Kazakhstan at this level and wish them all success with all our heart.

The leader of the capital squad and the National Team of our country Dmitri Shomko told the correspondent of the Republican Internet portal Sports.kz about the mood with which the strongest team of Kazakhstan of the six previous seasons, FC Astana, is approaching the upcoming start in the qualification of the UEFA Champions League.

- To be honest, we are all tired of the uncertainty about the recommencement of the championship. However there is nothing to do but to train and prepare. This is exactly what we are doing now – the only difference is that before we were preparing for the matches of the national championship, but now we have to play in the Champions League at short notice.

- Based on this whole situation, how do you assess the chances of FC Astana in European Competitions this year?

- Well, it’s too early to throw dust on our head. Yes, we are in a difficult situation, because the last official match was played more than 4 months ago, but we have no way out. In European Competitions, we are not fighting for ourselves, but for the honour of the country, so we will take pitch and give our maximum for the sake of the result.

- The draw for the UEFA Champions League qualification will take place very soon. Who would you like to see as your opponents?

- At this stage, our own shape and state are much more important to us than our opponent. And, in any case, this is the Champions League, there are no easy opponents here, and you can instantly get punished for any mistake.

- Recently, a lot of information has been released with the conclusions that FC Astana, allegedly, is no longer the same that it is not able to play at the same level. Please uncover the secret: is the capital team able to resolve lofty goals again this season?

- We are FC Astana, and by default very lofty goals are set before us: the championship, the group stage of European Competitions. And we want to complete these tasks.

- Your principal rival FC Kairat has been strengthened by former player of the Brazilian National Team Vagner Love. Do you think this will raise the intensity of the struggle for high places in the national championship?

- Vagner Love is definitely a football player with a name, as you rightly said – a former player of the Brazilian National Team, but we also have highly qualified performers in our squad, and we prove this every year by winning six championships in a row and during this time qualifying to the group stage of European Competitions five times.

- Continuing the theme of Vagner: the other day he said that he did not know about such a club as FC Astana. Do you have anything to reply to the Brazilian?

- I think either it was taken out of context, or Vagner was not interested in European football at all for the last five years. In any case, someone’s opinion is not important for us – we continue to work, and it is very important for us to be prepared for the Champions League matches, where we have to fight for the honour of Kazakhstan.

- Recently there was information in the media about the interest of Russian clubs in you. How realistic is the transfer to the RPL?

- Now I am a player of FC Astana, so all my immediate plans are related to the capital team. The rest of the questions are for my agent.

- I can’t help but ask about the National Team of Kazakhstan – there is less than a month left before the Nations League match against Belarusians. What is our team capable of in this tournament?

- This is a difficult question, because since March 90% of the National Team players remain without playing practice. But I hope that the Kazakhstan Championship will start soon, and we will have time to feel the game rhythm by September. But, in any case, we will take pitch to fight for the flag, for our country, so we will give all our strength in the pitch.

The General Partner of FC Astana is Samruk-Kazyna JSC