Dastan Satpayev’s friend to play for Spanish club Castellón

Chingis Kaliyev has joined the academy of Spanish club Castellón. The club competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish professional football,  El.kz reports citing sports blogger Yeldar Amanbayev.

During the upcoming season, Kaliyev will represent Juvenil A, the academy’s senior youth team. The squad comprises the club’s most promising young players who are being prepared for progression to senior professional football.

From Kairat to Levante

Kaliyev is a graduate of FC Kairat’s youth academy. Earlier this summer, he departed the youth system of Levante UD, where negotiations began regarding his transfer to a club competing at a higher level of the Spanish football pyramid.

In June, the defender represented the Kazakhstan U-19 national team during the qualifying campaign for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2027. His performances in intl competition helped attract the attention of Spanish scouts. Kaliyev is also known to be a friend of Dastan Satpayev.

División de Honor: A Pathway to Professional Football

Kaliyev is set to compete in the División de Honor Juvenil, Spain’s highest-level youth football competition. The league serves as the principal development platform for players from the country’s leading football academies.

The highly competitive nature of the competition plays a decisive role in the development of young footballers. Coaching and recruitment staff from clubs competing in both the Segunda División and La Liga regularly monitor these matches to identify emerging defensive and midfield talent.

Kaliyev’s move reflects a broader trend in Kazakh football. An increasing number of young Kazakh players are joining European football academies at an early stage of their careers, opting to pursue their development abroad rather than following the traditional pathway through the domestic league system.