President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Tokayev met with Miguel Angel Gil Marin, CEO of the Atletico Madrid football club, to discuss prospects for cooperation in developing football, infohub.kz reports.
The head of state praised the successful cooperation with the Spanish club, emphasizing that Miguel Angel Gil Marin's visit to Kazakhstan will take the partnership to a new level.
According to the President, the country is actively investing in modern football infrastructure, training facilities and youth player development programs, while continuing the privatization of most of the country's football clubs. He noted that, together with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), consistent work is under way to build more than 100 new football pitches for children in all regions.
During the talks, Qasym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the achievements of the Spanish national team and the Spanish football school, expressing interest in studying and applying best practices to train a new generation of talented Kazakh players.
For his part, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin thanked the President for his special attention to popularizing football in the country. He also spoke positively about the infrastructure of the Atletico Madrid academy in Almaty Region, noting that in the future it could become one of the best football training complexes.