First-team players of the Taldykorgan-based football club Zhetysu have sent a collective appeal to Beibit Isabaev, akim of the Zhetysu region, complaining about unpaid wages, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to Kazfootball.kz, amid the current financial situation, the players may boycott their upcoming Kazakhstan Premier League match against Kairat.
In the collective appeal, the players stated that at the beginning of the year they signed employment contracts and additional agreements with the club that set out a payment schedule. Under those documents, the funds were to be paid in three tranches — in April, August and November.
According to the players, Zhetysu fully met its obligations only for the first tranche. The second payment, scheduled for August, has still not been received.
According to KazFootball.kz, the team's foreign players have not been paid since July, while Kazakhstani players have not been paid since August. When they approached the club's management and the regional Department of Physical Culture and Sports, the players were told the delay was due to the suspension of budget funds under a previously concluded agreement with Zhetysu.
In the appeal, the players stressed that they continue to fulfill their contract terms and represent the region in the national championship, but the unpaid wages have put them and their families in a difficult financial position.
"In connection with the above, we ask you to intervene in the current situation and assist in resolving the issue of financing the Zhetysu Football Club public foundation," the appeal says.
Amid the financial problems, the team has already lost one of its most productive players. According to the Telegram channel AmanVIBE, 23-year-old Serbian legionnaire Marko Zivanovic left Zhetysu early and returned home due to the club's failure to meet its employment obligations.
In the current KPL season, Zivanovic played 24 matches and scored five goals. Three of them came in the last five rounds of the championship. According to the source, the player will no longer play for Zhetysu this season.
Zhetysu is next scheduled to play Kairat on October 10 in the 28th round of the KPL. However, KazFootball.kz reports that amid the unpaid wages, the Taldykorgan team's key players may boycott the match.
Ahead of the game, the Taldykorgan side sits last, 16th, in the table with 22 points after 26 matches. Kairat is second with 57 points and continues its title race with leaders Ordabasy, who have 61 points.
Earlier, players of another KPL club faced a similar wage arrears problem. In September, Astana players announced they would refuse to take part in the remaining championship matches until the debts were paid. At the time, the players demanded at least three monthly salaries each.