Results of the Working Meeting with Professional Football Club Representatives

14 May 2026, 20:40

On May 14, 2026, the Kazakhstan Football Federation held a working meeting with executives of professional football clubs from the Premier League and First League. The meeting took place online and was organized in response to a collective appeal submitted by the clubs on May 12, 2026, concerning refereeing standards and organizational matters.

During the meeting, Acting KFF General Secretary Alexander Keplin, Head of the Professional Competitions Directorate Bakytzhan Pazylkhaiyr and Director of the Refereeing, Inspection and VAR Development Department Nuno Alexandre Parreira de Castro, along with representatives of the clubs that signed the appeal, took part in the discussion.

Each signatory club was given the opportunity to present its position on the issues raised in the appeal. All clubs confirmed that they did not view the appeal as an ultimatum and were not making demands regarding personnel matters. Most club representatives noted that the appeal had been intended as a form of internal communication with the Federation’s leadership and expressed interest in maintaining an open and professional dialogue rather than engaging in public confrontation.

Director of the Refereeing, Inspection and VAR Development Department Nuno Alexandre Parreira de Castro presented the Department’s operating framework, including the Federation’s referee assessment procedures, UEFA-standard fitness testing, Laws of the Game examinations and video assessments, the work of inspectors, as well as referee education and certification processes.

It was emphasized that the standards and tools used by the Federation fully comply with UEFA requirements and are applied by leading European football associations.

Following the discussion, the Federation proposed and agreed on the following areas for futher cooperation:

• Individual meetings between the Director of the Refereeing Department and clubs upon request, including the review of specific match incidents through the Hawk-Eye system in line with UEFA educational materials and criteria.

• Continued publication of regular video analysis of refereeing decisions, including incorrect decisions, following each round of matches.

• Resumption of regular working meetings between club executives, the Directorate and relevant Federation departments to discuss not only refereeing matters, but also commercial regulations, infrastructure programs and other issues related to the development of professional football.

• The Federation’s continued openness to reviewing specific incidents submitted by clubs through the established process as part of an ongoing professional dialogue.

Personnel changes regarding the Director of the Refereeing Department are not under consideration. The Kazakhstan Football Federation reaffirms its confidence in the Department’s current leadership and its support for the ongoing refereeing reform aimed at improving officiating standards, increasing transparency and aligning all refereeing procedures with UEFA standards.

The Kazakhstan Football Federation also reaffirms its commitment to maintaining a professional dialogue with clubs as key partners in the development of Kazakhstani football and considers joint efforts to improve the quality of the championship, strengthen its commercial appeal and enhance supporters’ trust a key priority.