Kaleb Kopytin, a 16-year-old football player from the USA, has moved to Kyrgyzstan and signed a contract with the team 'Ilbirs'. This information was confirmed by the club's press service.
The club has already held a presentation for the new player. 'Ilbirs' is considered the base team for the country's youth national team.
Previously, Kaleb played in several friendly matches for the Kyrgyzstan U-17 national team, which is permissible without changing sports citizenship. In these games, he also scored one goal.
According to FIFA rules, players can sign contracts with professional clubs only after reaching the age of 18, unless there are special exceptions. In this regard, Kaleb not only obtained Kyrgyz citizenship but also changed his sports status.
Kopytin is a descendant of Kyrgyz people, so the process of obtaining a passport was simplified, allowing him to legally change his sports citizenship in accordance with FIFA rules.
