Photo: LoL Esports
An unexpected guest for the playoffs this year LECfor the first time in its history Excel Esports He played in the regular season in the Europa League. But even if we insist on the surprise side, it should be noted that we have found proven players in his list in the past. We talk a lot mikikiFormer European champion and MSI but names like him Noukdaki, patrick And Finnish It also looks very familiar to us.
The British construction will cross swords for its first Bo5 in LEC team vitality. Bees are definitely the favorite, but the XL will surprise you again. we talked Finnish, The first line of the team. More than ever, he is determined to give an appointment to the skeptics on the spot!
French transcription of the interview
Hello Finn, and congratulations on winning SK Gaming, especially qualifying for the playoffs! How do you feel ?
XL Slim: Even though I wanted to win against G2 yesterday, I’m happy. But the move is great and I’ll be happy about it.
This is not a first for you but for EXCEL Esports! Do you realize that you wrote the story?
Being in the playoffs is not enough for me and I have bigger goals. But it’s a good start, qualifying is the first step. All in all, after my years at CLG and passing EXCEL, this is also a good result.
Even if you have a match to play tomorrow, will you throw a small party tonight?
There’s no party tonight, we still have a game like you said. And if Vitality ever qualifies, I think the side-sampling advantage is substantial.
You talked about bigger goals for the rest of the season… can you tell me a bit more about that?
We want to go as far as possible and I think we can beat anyone. I think G2 and Rogue are the two best teams right now, but even against them we have a chance. We will play the matches one after the other and try to win the trophy.
Your organization has announced that its goal is to be in the world’s top three by the end of the year. Do you think it’s possible to be in the top 3 for spring?
Yes, very clear! These playoffs are likely to be very open.
You have been playing Bo5 for a long time. Is the idea of trying this format more exciting or stressful?
I’m so happy to be back in Europe and playing Bo5 again, there’s really serious news here. I love my team and the players who make it up and I’m delighted to be fighting for the title.
What is the difference in preparation between Bo1 and Bo5?
When preparing for Bo1, you mainly focus on yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses. You really don’t have the opportunity to talk too much about your opponents who change every game. But the situation is different for Bo5. You have to analyze in depth and think carefully about how to adapt. The process is much more interesting.
I would also like to hear your feelings on the game at the top. A lot of gamers are buying Hullbreaker right now and the public is a little angry. How do you see things?
The meta sets me up pretty well, Hullbreaker doesn’t find me too frustrating. The object is interesting, but I think that it has been talked about a lot and that it remains quite situational. We pay too much attention to statistics, not to watch what happens in games, to know if an item is active. In addition, the next patch should tarnish the item which could further disrupt the metagame and affect champions like Graves or Akshan.
You also played against Renata today. Even if you don’t see him often when he’s at the top, do you have any idea of the last champion?
I can’t say too much yet. In my opinion, the strength of a champion should be measured by two criteria: lane strength and teamfight strength. As for the strip scene, it’s too early to tell because fans just don’t have enough time to get used to it yet. In terms of team fights, he can take his place, especially in contrasting compositions with a lot of commitment. The little problem is that there are currently many champions with great achievements like Caitlin, Jinx, Victor or Azir…
At the highest level, how do you compare to other players in the LEC?
Honestly, I’m the best topliner! If I don’t believe in myself, I’ll never be someone. Anyway, I don’t think Toplan is very strong in Europe. There are good players who are solid like Odoamne, Wunder and Brecken Blade. But nobody impressed me much. Not a single man dominates, and Bo5s will really wonder who the better pitcher is.
Finally, I want to talk about my time in NA. Learn something there and enjoy your time at the LCS?
I think my results in North America speak for themselves. I didn’t do well there, 8th in the spring and 9th or 10th in the summer, I can’t even remember. Frankly, I don’t like it and I don’t feel like I’ve progressed as a player. The only thing was that I could work on my mind. I came back to Europe with a better spirit and that helped me this year.
Finally, why believe in the EXCEL year?
I have nothing to add, I speak in the playoffs.
Source : Millenium
