Foreigners surprised by the support for Dastan Satpayev from Kazakhstanis
At the same time, dozens of videos are appearing on social media filmed by Kazakhstani fans who traveled specifically to support the young player during the team's stay in Sydney.
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Post from FC Kairat Sydney (@fc_kairat_sydney)
Nearly 22,000 comments under the video featuring Dastan
One of Chelsea's posts featuring Dastan Satpayev garnered nearly 22,000 comments. A significant portion of these messages was left by users from Kazakhstan.
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A post by Chelsea FC (@chelseafc)
Most of the comments consist of words of support, the footballer's name, Kazakhstan flag emojis, and well-wishes.
"Oh, Dastan Satpayev!", "You should have shown Satpayev first. I had to watch the video to the very end to see him. Keep that in mind for the future," "Alga, Kazakhstan!", "Show Dastan Satpayev more often," "Dastan should be the first one off the bus!", "We support Dastan," commenters wrote under the publication.
Many left only the Kazakhstan flag emoji, causing the comments section to quickly turn into a long feed of sky-blue banners.
Some users jokingly suggested that the club's media team intentionally placed Satpayev toward the end of the video.
"The SMM specialist knows what's up. They showed Dastan at the end on purpose so people would watch the whole video and boost engagement. They know that ever since Dastan moved to Chelsea, Kazakhstanis have been actively following the posts," one user noted.
Others admitted they only watched the clip for the sake of the Kazakhstani footballer.
A similar situation occurred under a post featuring a team photo in Australia. The post also garnered over 10,000 comments, many of which were dedicated specifically to Dastan Satpayev.
"All of Kazakhstan is scanning the photo for Dastan," "Why is our boy standing in the back?", "Put our boy in the front row and take a proper photo of him," "If you need one, we'll send a mobile content creator from Kazakhstan. Take a decent shot of our guy," "Don't push our Dastan into the corner," commenters joked.
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A post by Chelsea FC (@chelseafc)
Kazakhstani fans turn out to support Satpayev in Australia
Beyond the online activity, support was also visible on the ground in Australia.
@muraatuly1 @FC Kairat Almaty #dastansatpayev #dastansatpaev #algakazakhstan???????? ♬ original sound - muraatuly
Videos circulated on social media showing Kazakhstani fans attending Chelsea's open training session in Sydney with Kazakhstan flags and jerseys of Almaty-based FC Kairat.
"Today we are supporting another Kairat academy graduate who recently moved to Chelsea at age 17. We hope Dastan successfully adapts to his new life in Europe and continues to represent Kazakhstan with dignity abroad," the caption of one video reads.
@diana.kadyl Our boy has arrived in Australia, finished his training, don't worry everything is fine???????? #dastansatpayev #chelsea #australia ♬ original sound - Diana.kadyl
According to journalists, the open training session was attended by visited by approximately 4,500 fans. Among them were many Kazakhstanis.
@diana.kadyl #dastansatpaev #chelsea #dastansatpayev ♬ viva la vida - moiseslyricsss
Footage also appeared online showing Dastan Satpayev smiling and waving to the fans who came to support him.
@muraatuly1 #chelsea #chelsea #dastansatpayev #dastansatpaev #algakazakhstan???????? @FC Kairat Almaty @Kazakhstan ???????? ♬ original sound - Ka〽️ii
In the comments, users noted that the footballer appeared visibly happy upon seeing his compatriots.
"When he saw our Kazakhs, he immediately smiled and felt warmer in another country," "Thank you for supporting him on the other side of the world! Alga Dastan!", "Our dear boy saw his own people and lit up with his signature beautiful smile," "How pleasant it must have been for him to see the Kairat jersey," "He realized that wherever he is, he won't be without support," commenters wrote.
At the same time, some urged others not to distract the young player too much and to let him focus on his work.
"Don't distract Dastan too much. Let him train in peace," one user noted.
Screenshot: Threads
Foreign fans on the support from Kazakhstanis
The unusual level of activity from Kazakhstani supporters has also been noted by international football accounts.
"Scores of Chelsea fans in Sydney raised Kazakhstan flags in support of Dastan Satpaev!" — noted the Cfcdoctor fan page.
The Rising Ballers football project also took note of the young Kazakhstani and the reaction of the fans.
The authors of the post noted that while Satpaev is not yet 18, he is already involved in the first team's pre-season training and is gradually becoming a fan favorite.
Screenshot: Threads
They also emphasized that if Dastan debuts in the English Premier League, he will become the first Kazakhstani footballer in the tournament's history. His compatriots are actively supporting him, attending matches and training sessions with Kazakhstan flags and Kairat jerseys.
"I am amazed by the love his compatriots show him. I pray he reaches great heights," "I am Kyrgyz, and I became a Chelsea fan because of Dastan," "Why are there so many Kazakhstan flags?" "I really love how people from Kazakhstan support their guy," wrote international fans.
Pre-season tour continues
Chelsea arrived in Sydney yesterday, where they will play Western Sydney Wanderers on July 28 and face Tottenham on August 1.
After that, the team will continue the Asian leg of the tour, playing Juventus on August 5 in Hong Kong, AC Milan on August 8 in Indonesia, and Johor Darul Ta'zim on August 9 in Malaysia. All matches will take place during the daytime, Kazakhstan time.
It was previously announced that Dastan Satpaev has been assigned the number 36 shirt.
In recent days, the young Kazakhstani forward has also caught the attention of the British media, who noted his physical conditioning after his first training sessions with the London club. According to British press reports, some journalists have already compared Satpaev's physique to that of English football star Jack Grealish.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstani fans continue to follow the first steps of the young football star at the European club, leaving thousands of warm wishes and encouraging comments under every new Chelsea post.