Almaty Keirat lost to Real Madrid 0-5 at home in the Champions League, and the team coach Rafael Ulazbachtin was interviewed after the game.

Talking about losing

"I don't know what to say. We are still at different levels with our opponents. In any case, it's a good experience and face a very strong opponent. Losing to any team will be painful, no matter who the opponent is, we have to accept it. We worked hard and deserved at least one goal."

"We failed to score on our opponents. But we must thank our players for their efforts and willingness to compete, and they did a great job in this regard. Thank you to the fans. We are very happy to be able to play against Real Madrid here, and everyone has seen how the masters play. They have also seen how difficult it is to fight against these players. Will we still have a chance to play against such teams in the future? These games will allow Kazakhstan football and the clubs here to grow."

Is there anything you like in the match?

We are glad to have lost three goals quickly without opening. We started very well and created some opportunities. One-on-one defense is impossible and very difficult, and it always requires another player to assist in defense. Fighting them is very difficult. We left too much room in the first half and Guerre played very easily. After that we tried to force Real Madrid to go on the wing more, but they could still easily break through our defense. We tried to block the corridor in the middle, but it was too difficult. Yegor encountered many difficulties in fighting Mbappe. We have to accept that we are playing football in different levels of leagues.

Have you ever thought about how to defeat Real Madrid?

We try to start in a very positive way. In the first minute we had a chance to score. But it is very difficult to maintain such a high intensity. If there was such a rhythm in our league, we might have been more prepared, but we don’t have such an opponent.

We try to apply pressure, but when we feel tired, we have to turn to fight back. We are facing an extremely high-level opponent. We had to fight back a lot, but our forwards were not doing well. We could have made a difference through set pieces, but failed.

The team suffered two crushing defeats, how do the players digest it?

The players all understand. It's like an elephant vs. a small man. This is a contest between (value) 1.4 billion (euro) and 14 million (euro). One of the opponent's players is more valuable than our entire team. Our goal is to work hard to enter the group stage so that strong opponents can come here.

Last year, Astana played against Chelsea, and this year, we played against Real Madrid. If we can have more games like this, Kazakh football will be the winner. We know our level. Losing is always painful, but how do you compete with Mbappe? Only by playing against such opponents can you improve.

What message did you convey during the intermission?

We tell the young men not to always be full of their feet. We gained some advantages through short passes, especially using players like Topalov. When Topalov stepped forward, we created a lot of offensive opportunities, and Louis tried to do so. We tell the lads not to be afraid. Because when we pass the ball to the frontcourt, none of us can fight against Heysen…we ask them to be more confident when they are in possession. When a player feels scared, he chooses the easiest way to play. So, what we ask for is more courage. When we choose to pass a long time, the chances are always open. We lack confidence. The score of

0-5 is very hurtful, but there is Mbappe opposite. Real Madrid used to be Vinicius's team, but now it is Mbappe's. Is he the best in the world?

Yes, I never had the chance to face him so close from the sidelines. This is why he is so valuable. They also have Vinicius, Rodrigo, Mastantono, Bellingham…it’s too difficult for our lads. But they need such a game. Being able to fight against a player like Bellingham is a good thing in itself. Our young players will have at least six more games against these opponents. Our clubs, Kazakh football and our players have learned a lot.