Bishkek, July 3, 2025. /Kabar/. Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu visited the football stadium located in the city of Porto as part of a working trip to Portugal, the press service of the parliament reported.
Having familiarized himself with the conditions created for football players and fans, and having met with the stadium management, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu emphasized that in recent years Kyrgyzstan has also been paying special attention to the development of this sport. "Therefore, the experience of Portugal is very important for us. Currently, the largest football stadium in Central Asia, designed for more than 50 thousand people, is being built in Bishkek. With its commissioning, conditions will appear for organizing not only national, but also international competitions at a high level," said the speaker.
At the same time, he added that Portugal is also known for its best football players. "Football is not just a game. In today's global conditions, this is one of the diplomatic opportunities that strengthen friendship and interstate ties. Accordingly, our two countries need to prioritize cooperation in this area. Kyrgyz football players are especially interested in learning the experience and playing methods of world-famous Portuguese football players," said Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu.
He noted that this concluded the speaker's working visit to Portugal, and today, July 3, he returned to Bishkek. Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu visited this country to participate in the regular meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA).
This sports facility was built in 2001 and put into operation in 2003 in connection with the European Championship, which was held in 2004. About 100 million euros were spent on the construction of the stadium, which can accommodate 52 thousand people. The sports facility called "Dragan" has hosted many international competitions, such as the European Championship, the national league final and the final matches between Manchester City and Chelsea in 2021. It should also be noted that in 2003, the Porto club, under the leadership of head coach Jose Mourinho, won the main games of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Portuguese Super League.