Kairat Almaty

Formed: 2001
UEFA Futsal Cup best performance: 2009 third place

Domestic honours (most recent)
• League title: 8 (2011)
• Kazakh Cup: 6 (2009)

Main round: bye
Elite round: Akademia FC Pniewy 5-0, Slov-Matic Bratislava 3-1, Iberia Star Tblisi 2-2 (Group C winners)

History
• Previously known as Kaynur, they took their current name in 2001 in honour of businessman Kairat Orazbekov, who helped found the club and is now their president.

• His finances are behind their huge success, as they have dominated the local scene and made a mark in Europe.

• In only their second UEFA Futsal Cup campaign in 2005/06 they got to the semi-finals, finishing ahead of SL Benfica in their second qualifying round group having held the Eagles 3-3.

• Kairat's achievement, Kazakhstan's best in any UEFA competition, drew widespread attention. Their semi-final against MFK Dinamo Moskva, which they lost 8-2 on aggregate was televised nationally and the home leg was moved to the 4,000-capacity Baluan Sholak Sport Palace, proving an instant sell-out.

• They made the second four-team final tournament two years later and did so again in 2009, beating Dinamo for third place.

• They missed out last term in the elite round but have now won through again and were given the honour of hosting Kazakhstan's first UEFA final tournament at any level.

Key players
Kairat mix local talent like Dinmukhambet Suleimenov with Brazilian players including Katata, Micky, Leo and Kelson, who won this competition with both Action 21 Charleroi in 2005 and Dinamo two years later.

Coach: João Carlos Barbosa

Date of birth: 1 February 1965
Nationality: Brazilian
Playing career: Joinville EC, Tigre FC, Embraco, FC Ngrede, GE América
Coaching career: Criciúma EC, GE América, FC UPF, FC UCS, Malwee Futsal (assistant), UD Guadalajara FS, Kairat Almaty

João Carlos Barbosa has spent most of his futsal playing and coaching careers in his native Brazil but after a stint in Spain is now established in Kazakhstan.

Barbosa's playing days were lived mostly at state level, notably winning the Santa Catarina championship with Embraco. After retiring from playing, he took up coaching with Criciúma EC and directed them to the Santa Catarina championship in 1997. Following a spell at GE América, for whom he had also played, he coached university teams UPF and US before being appointed to assist Fernando Feretti at Brazilian giants Malwee Futsal in 2004.

The next year Barbosa departed for Europe and UD Guadalajara FS, whom he led to promotion in 2005/06 and kept in the top flight for the following two seasons. In August 2008 he moved on to replace compatriot Alesio at Kairat and emulated his feat of guiding them to the UEFA Futsal Cup finals, finishing third – and after continuing their domestic monopoly his charges have won through again this time.