MAJ3R: "I am sure that with time we will become much more consistent"

The Turkish team was in stunning form in its first match in Copenhagen.

Eternal Fire made a dream start to their BLAST Open Lisbon campaign with a quick 2-0 victory against Liquid, exacting revenge for the loss to the Americas side in ESL Pro League 21 less than two weeks ago.

The match served as a reminder of Eternal Fire's incredibly high ceiling since the addition of Samet "⁠jottAAA⁠" Köklü to the roster in the off-season. Still, the Turkish team's performances have alternated between thrilling and disappointing — an issue Engin "⁠MAJ3R⁠" Küpeli is trying to fix.

"I have changed so many things in my system with his arrival because the roles are completely different," he told HLTV in a post-match interview. "I am sure that with time we will become much more consistent because we are working really hard."

The Turkish captain also commented on the team's grueling schedule and the differences between today's match and the one in Stockholm, and reiterated his dream of lifting an S-tier trophy. "I am ready to give everything I have to achieve [it]."

---

A 2-0 victory in your first match in this tournament. A much different game from the one you played in Pro League against them. What are your thoughts on this match?

In Pro League, it was a really close match but we weren't in great shape. Today, the team was in better shape. I read the game and played much better, too. That helped, obviously.

How confident were you heading into the series, which had two different maps from the ones you played in Stockholm? Looking back, do you think the Train pick in EPL was a mistake?

No, I don't think choosing Train was a mistake because it was their ban in all the matches before playing us. If I had to do it again, I would do it every time. Today, they chose Dust2 and we decided to go and face them on our and their best map, Anubis. I'm happy with the result. And winning Dust2 was important.

It was also a great match for you personally. You had that clutch on Dust2 with that flying headshot, and an ace clutch on Anubis, where you posted a 2.02 rating, a career-high on LAN. Happy with your performance?

I'm definitely happy but also realistic. I try to do my best for my team as a leader, my goal is to call CT and T as best as I can. Individually, if I can show a decent level, that's just a bonus for us.

One of the biggest talking points about your team is the number of events you’re attending. You recently said that you were afraid of burnout. The question is: why are you attending all these events then? Don’t you think you’re high enough in the rankings that you can afford to skip a few to rest and better prepare? You’re even doing Astana and Dallas back to back.

It's a question that comes up all the time. Obviously, doing so many tournaments can tire us out but can also give us a lot more experience. With the new Valve system made for this year, we have to play as many tournaments as possible. We made this decision together, but maybe our manager and the people concerned will decide not to participate in some event in the future, but I'm not the best person to talk about that.

We remain professionals, and it's important to do our best every day and do a job that we love. God gave us this opportunity; many people would like to be in our place, so I give my all so that I won't have any regrets in the future.

The addition of jottAAA has elevated the team to a new level, but you’re still struggling for consistency. It feels like you can beat anyone in a Bo3 game, but at the same time, you can also lose to teams lower than you in the rankings, like TYLOO, Liquid and 3DMAX. Is this inconsistency still something normal for a team that changed a player? How are you addressing this issue?

We must not forget that jottAAA arrived at the beginning of January. It has been about three months. I have changed so many things in my system with his arrival because the roles are completely different. I am sure that with time we will become much more consistent because we are working really hard. It has [only] been three months for jottAAA to feel comfortable and for the team to get used to him. He is a hard-working player, I love this quality, and hopefully we can become more consistent in the future.

What are your goals for this event? Have you set any targets?

I want to win an S-tier title. That's my goal in every tournament. Do we have the ability to do it? I don't know, but I have confidence in myself and my teammates, and I believe with all my heart that all dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, but that takes sweat, determination, and hard work. I am ready to give everything I have to achieve my dream.