FalleN: "With more autonomy and responsibility, I really want to leave my mark here during the next year"

The Professor says that FURIA will use EPL as a measuring stick after the recent changes.

FURIA head into Pro League with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team after the recent removal of longtime member Andrei "⁠arT⁠" Piovezan, which saw Gabriel "⁠FalleN⁠" Toledo take the team's reins full-time. Meanwhile, head coach Nicholas "⁠guerri⁠" Nogueira is on his way out of the team as he will soon transition to a Head of Esports role within the organization.

Pro League will be FURIA's second tournament with academy player Kayke "⁠kye⁠" Bertolucci, who is filling the void created by arT's benching, at least temporarily. FURIA are keeping an eye on the market, but FalleN doesn't rule out keeping the young player. "There's a world in which we're out there looking for a player and the player is already here, you know?" he told HLTV during media day, praising the 19-year-old's mentality and potential.

FalleN implied that hiring a foreign head coach is off the table because of the language barrier that it would create, but he noted that FURIA's technical committee is looking at creative ways in which they can bring some outside help.

With the tournament season in full swing, FalleN said that FURIA most likely won't make any decisions about the last player until the break, when many teams will be making changes. For now, he said, it's about working on the culture and building the right foundations. "We know the moment we're in, it's not yet time to think about such a feat, to be fighting for the top of the world and things like that. We're still some ways away, but we know where we want to be, and we're going to keep working for it."

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How is the atmosphere in the team after these recent changes and the recent results in China and Rio?

The atmosphere in the team has been very good recently, with the changes we've made to the lineup now and also to the team structure. We've been trying to find some new ways of working, new ways of thinking about the game. It's still too early to see the results of that, but, internally, we feel really well. We feel as prepared as possible for the first games here in EPL and we're very excited to start playing. Obviously, there are many challenges ahead, with a new player and a new structure. We want to see where we are in the games we're going to play here in Pro League.

Date	Matches
ESL Pro League Season 19
30/04/2024	FURIA 19:30 Liquid	Match

I wanted to ask you about the search for a new coach. I watched the interview you did with Game Arena, in which you said that Akkari wants a foreign coach, but maybe not everyone in the technical committee is on board. I wanted to ask if there are any developments about that and if you're more aligned with regards to the new coach?

We have some differences of opinion among those who are thinking about what to do with the coaching staff in the future, especially when it comes to the foreign coach because of this limitation: normally, coaches need to understand really well what is being said within the team. And a foreign coach would naturally need a team that speaks English. In most cases, it would be much easier if you have a team that communicates in English, a coach who understands English, things would flow more naturally.

The first thing was to ask within the team, within the core that exists here, if there was any interest in speaking English, and there was no desire to do so. So we're thinking a little outside the box. If we cannot have a coach that is participating 100% due to the language, what solution can we find to bring this international experience?

Because we think it could be beneficial, depending on the person and the position we put them in, to have someone who has different views about Counter-Strike, someone who can add experience. So we're being a bit creative, we've already talked to some people and we're trying to find a solution outside the box [that can bring] a bit of what we believe is missing and that could be beneficial for the team, even if it's not from the position that coaches are most used to, which is one where they would understand the team and collaborate all the time. So we're thinking of more creative solutions to be able to add this anyway.

A lot has been said about this search for a new coach, but it has not been the same about this search for a new player. Many players in Brazil are bursting onto the scene, like Lucaozy, insani or snowzin. What is keeping FURIA from signing a player like this? Is it the buyout? Or the profile that may not be the right one? What is your opinion

I believe that, since we're in a pre-holiday period, pre-break period, of CS, the timing for a change is not ideal, right? During the break and the post-break, some teams will end up making changes, and there is the chance that one can get players a bit more easily. That is the first issue. The second issue is that, considering that it's not easy to get a high-caliber player quickly, we have the players from the FURIA Academy at our disposal, and there are several talented players available there. kye is one of them. Considering these two situations, you have the opportunity to test some new kids, and you can see that this has worked well for Brazilian teams.

You have Imperial with noway and decenty, who were in situations similar to kye. You have insani, who is now a big player for MIBR and not too long ago was in the academy. So I believe that giving these new kids an opportunity can be worthwhile, and from what I've seen from the short amount of time I have had to practice and play with kye, he's got a lot of potential. He's really interested and he has a good personality. There's a world in which we're out there looking for a player and the player is already here, you know? And we'll be able to find out more about this world in the next month or two in which we'll be playing with kye.

How do you deal with this dichotomy of trying to find the right player and the right coach and, at the same time, having to deal with the pressure from a fanbase that demands results right away? These are two distinct realities.

The only way in which I can face these things more naturally, and in a way that's more beneficial to me and the team, is to, first of all, believe that the team that is here now can be the team for the future, right? It's very exhausting to be in a place where you don't think you belong, right? It's not a very nice situation. So we avoid thinking like that as much as possible.

Firstly, because I truly believe in kye's potential. I see that he has potential, that he has the energy and the right mentality for it. Secondly, because his teammates are embracing this idea. When you have a cohesive group, one that believes in a vision, you can focus energy on it and make it happen. And thirdly, we understand that many fans follow us, and many fans are very vocal on social media, many fans go to events and enjoy watching the games. They watch us all the time, and they've been with us for many months and years. And we know they're with us during this moment of transition, when we really need their support. So we have the support of the fans, and that gives us peace of mind to do our jobs.

About the coach, we believe that it's possible to seek some other experiences, some other opinions, and we're already working a bit outside the box to find a solution, and that also makes us feel a bit calmer. We are completely satisfied with what we have here and what we know is done in-house. There is the public feeling about things, and then there's the day-to-day experience of those who are here, and we have a lot of confidence and we see the work that is done every day. That really helps us to be more firm and have more clarity in these moments.

We are entering a very crucial period of the season. We have Cologne coming up, we have the Esports World Cup, and in a few months, we will have the qualifiers for the Major. Considering that we might not have any updates in the next month or two, what are the goals for the rest of the year?

The goals are to strengthen this new vision that we have of how to play the game, get on the same page inside the game more and more, and create a strong group atmosphere, one where we like to be with each other and work with each other, where we are willing to grow, go through adversities, and experience losses and wins. We, like every other team on the planet, aim to be No.1 in the world. It's obvious that, for some, this reality is more distant, for others it's unthinkable, but it was unthinkable for me in the past, too, and yet we managed to achieve it. We have to aim high. We have our heads screwed on the right way, we know the moment we're in, it's not yet time to think about such a feat, to be fighting for the top of the world and things like that. We're still some ways away, but we know where we want to be, and we're going to keep working for it.

In 2022, you said that you'd like to play one more year. Obviously, we're past that now. Is this something you still think about? Do you believe that the timing of your retirement will depend on the goals that you will be able to achieve, or not, with the team?

I ended up learning a few lessons from that moment, when I was trying to find the best way to balance my personal and professional lives, right? I've been playing for many years, and each year brings different challenges. And one of the lessons back then was that there's not much point in planning or talking about when you want to stop playing or not.

When it's meant to be, it will be, but what I have in mind is that, I've been with FURIA for a year now, and I set out to play with the guys here for two years, so I'm halfway through the job. And as I'm starting this new cycle here now, with a bit more autonomy in terms of decision-making, a bit more leadership responsibility, I really want to leave my mark here during the next year in a really good way.

As time goes by, and as we get closer to the end of my contract, we'll be able to review whether it still makes sense for me to play, whether we're still getting the results we want, and also combine this with some personal decisions I need to make about my family, where to live and things like that. So it's too early to think about these things, but what people can be sure of is that I am 100% focused on doing a great job with FURIA next year and leaving the situation much better than I found it.