Seron before eChampions League: I’m not stressed, quite the opposite

A historic milestone in Czech esports and also for our club is knocking on the door. Seron will be the first Czech player to compete in the group stage of the prestigious eChampions League in London this weekend. In a tournament with a staggering prize pool of 6.5 million CZK, the narrow world elite will be represented by 41 players from 21 different countries, emerging from the national leagues of European countries following the example of our e:LIGA.

For Seron, who will have his teammate from e:LIGA, Emerickson, as his coach and psychological support, the action will begin on Friday with a media day and getting acquainted with the environment and setup of the London studio where the entire tournament will take place. 41 players from more than twenty countries have been drawn into 8 basic groups, with five players in seven groups and six in one. Seron, assigned to Group H, will compete against four opponents in a five-player group and will fight for three qualifying spots that would secure his place in the playoffs. On Sunday, his opponents will be NKantee (PSG eSports), NachoAbella (Real Oviedo), Umut (RBLZ Gaming), and Marley (Brighton FC). He will play one BO1 match against each opponent in a Round-robin, single elimination format.

The first two matches will be exclusively broadcasted on Emerickson's Twitch stream on Sunday from 14:00. Additional and potentially decisive matches will be available on the official EA Sports stream at approximately 17:00. The exact tournament format is explained in detail in the following graphic.

Interview with Seron

How are you preparing for the eChampions League? Has your training regime changed compared to preparing for Czech tournaments?

"I've changed my preparation; the world plays differently than the domestic scene, and I had to adapt to that. The pace of the game is different, the perception of things is different, and the whole level is on another level. Every small mistake is punished, you have to be one step ahead of the others, which is sometimes tough. But as they say - if you want to be the best, you have to beat everyone."

Evaluate for us how you perceive your opponents. Who do you think will be the biggest challenge?

"The players in the group are quality. Two players were second in their own leagues from the English and Spanish leagues, which is very prestigious. NKantee is a French pro who is also at the top level, and we don't even need to talk about Umut - a world champion, one of the best players in the world."

How do you feel overall just before departure? Are you nervous? Do you believe in yourself?

"I don't have stress at all yet, quite the opposite. With every match, I gain confidence, and I'll be better prepared for the tournament. After all, I expect nervousness on the spot, world-class, everything will be different. English will be the primary language; it will be peculiar, but in the end, I'll fulfill my dream and be at an offline event by EA. If I believe in myself? Yes, I wouldn't go to any tournament without it. Believing in yourself is essential; we're all there for a reason; now we have to show who's the best among us."

What placement would you be satisfied with throughout the tournament?

"From the second round and above would be great; after all, it will be my first world tournament. So there will be pressure, but I hope to deal with it together with Emerickson, who will have my back and will also be a key person in whether we progress or not. Of course, I'm the player, and I take all the weight on myself, but Eme can greatly help us progress together."

Interview with Emerickson

You're going to the tournament for the first time in the position of a coach. How do you perceive it?

"I've already taken on this role, so to speak, during the e:LEAGUE playoffs. It's something new again. I'm glad to try out this position on the biggest stage within EA FC24. Overall, I enjoy this role. I like analyzing the game, whether it's Seron or his opponents. Suddenly, one sees the game from a different angle, and you keep noticing things you didn't pay attention to before."

How well do you think you've handled the preparation?

"We both fulfilled our tasks. Seron played several preparation matches against other players from the eChampions League."

Are you preparing for each opponent in the group individually?

"Mostly yes. I try to gather all the information about the players in the group from recent tournaments. We dedicate some time to each player. We want to know what play style the player might present and be prepared for it from the start. Of course, you can't always rely on it, and it can be completely different on the game day."

How will you and Seron work together at the event?

"I want to help him mainly in the psychological aspect of the game. Provide him with the necessary calmness and confidence. A coach perceives those matches from a different perspective than a player. I can empathize with his situation at those moments. I'm aware of how good a player he is and that he can beat anyone, but as we all know, competitive FC is largely about the mind. I want Seron to focus only on himself and his game at the event and turn all that training time into success."