sidde on FURIA's future: "This uncertainty is created by the outside"
Last year, FURIA embarked on a historic run that saw them win four events in a row. 2026 has yet to return a trophy to them, but as FalleN’s retirement gets ever closer, the team is ramping up to go out with a bang.
Having made it to the playoffs of BLAST Open Porto, they face a tough battle in the quarter-finals: Vitality. And, although Vitality may be playing with jL as a stand-in, they know they can’t take the foot off the gas to get past the best team of the year so far.
At the event, we sat down with FURIA’s coach, sidde, to dicusss YEKINDAR’s IGL trial, the post-FalleN world, and how they plan to take on Vitality.
“It’s a good accomplishment for us to make the playoffs”
We're here at the playoffs in Porto. How are you feeling about your guys' tournament so far?
Feeling great. It's obviously a good accomplishment for us to make the playoffs. Of course, our goal is a lot bigger than that, but making playoffs for us means a lot. It was the first time that we qualified playing from the BLAST studios; we normally bomb out in groups in their events. So it feels great, yeah.
We're coming up to about the point in time last year when you guys went on the winning streak. Are you feeling the same vibe from the team? Do you think you can repeat that this year?
It's not really a vibe that you feel. Things just happen. I think when you start growing inside the competitions, your chances of winning are getting higher and higher. That's how it happened for us, at least; it's not something that you feel prior to the tournament. I think we've been showing good form so far. In all the events we played, we had a good run in EWC, and also here so far we're doing fine. So I think it all depends on how much we can grow inside the playoffs. If we can have a good first game, then from there we can start maybe feeling something like that.
There's the uncertainty about the team's future, given that it comes from FalleN retiring. Is that something that might throw the team off or, because of what it means for Counter-Strike overall, can it actually be quite a motivating factor for the guys?
Yeah, it is. And just to make things clear: this uncertainty is created by the outside. We don't have this uncertainty inside FURIA. We work with the possibility of replacing the IGL, that's all we work with, being inside FURIA. But yeah, as a team, regarding FalleN and his retirement, we all want to give him the best year possible so he can retire on a high note. So our main goal, since we learned about his retirement, has been to just give it our all so he can finish it in a good fashion.
As the coach, when FalleN retires, you lose your leadership duo. The things that FalleN does, and how he is as a person; do you think that no matter who you might find to replace him, there'll be things you'll never be able to replace?
Yeah, I think so. It's hard to replace 20-plus years of experience and how much he means to CS and to all the players involved. When you talk about leadership, it's not about what he does, it's also about what he did in the past, and how big of a figure he is for everyone involved in CS and the players inside the team. So yeah, I think we will go down a path of a different kind of leadership. It's doable; we know we can bring another great IGL, but leadership-wise, it's hard to replace FalleN.
YEKINDAR has been trialling as IGL. How's that been going from your perspective?
When you look at the maps that he's been calling, we have improved a lot on those maps. So he's bringing fresh ideas, he has a very good mind for the game, and it's going great. I think he's discovering many ways of manipulating some of the strats that he already has, and he's putting in the work — so I hope we can continue to show his improvement.
Mauisnake on the desk was talking about him IGLing on Cache, and doing so from Mid, how that's quite a hard spot to IGL from; do you think that's actually true, or does it maybe add to his ability to call those rounds?
On all maps, we didn't change his positions; he's playing the same playmaker positions he was playing before. So I reckon it's not going to be 100% of a fit in terms of the roles that he plays and how to call.
On Cache specifically, with how our system is designed, I think he's in a good position to do that. Even though he's playing Mid, I don't think this is creating any problems with how he calls, but it all depends on his system and how he calls. For us, yeah, he suits us well, even if he's playing Mid.
How do you feel about the concept of positions and calling overall? You have the most famous AWP IGL of all time, but a lot of IGLs are more supportive now; maybe they’re anchors, and maybe the primary rotator does more calling on the CT side. You don't really see lurker IGLs. Do you think there are some positions you just can't IGL from?
Well, the way CS is designed right now, you gave an example of a lurker IGL, that's not something we see a lot these days.
The way CS has been played recently, especially when CS2 came around, I think this style of supportive IGL on the T-side has been growing, and this is what many teams have. If you take Spirit as an example, they are a team with a very good system; they're the best team in the world now, and they have magixx in this position, so a supportive IGL.
You obviously have IGLs who can make it work in playmaking positions; for example, if you take Krabeni from FUT, he plays in these playmaking positions, and he can also work sometimes.
But maybe because we got used to seeing the best teams in the world function in this system, I think having this supportive IGL, like part of the pack, like apEX, like what FalleN does as well; if you take, as I said, magixx from Spirit, how Aleksib plays for NAVI, I think this is what suits the meta the best.
But it might be a case of us seeing this so much that we got used to it. I think it's quite hard to compete as an entry fragger, spacetaker IGL, if you consider you're going up against so many star players who have crazy aim. It's better to have someone only focus on that, and then you can call from a bit far, a bit away from the action. But I would say, yeah, this is the system that has been used the most, and it's going to be one of the most, maybe the most, efficient one.
You guys play Vitality in the quarters, and they're playing with a stand-in. Is that something you see as an advantage, or maybe a little bit of a disadvantage, because there'll be little changes you can't prepare for?
I don't really see it as an advantage, nor do I see it as a disadvantage for them; for me, it's still neutral. jL is a very experienced player. He's been on the outside, but not that much; he's been watching, he's been playing, so he’s shown that he's still sharp.
In terms of vibes, he brings a lot to the team. So that's why I don't see it as a disadvantage, even though they don't have mezii here. jL, he brings a different environment for the team, and watching their games, you can notice that their level hasn't dropped that much, it's just maybe a matter of him adapting to some of the roles, because he was not playing exactly these roles before.
I think it's quite tricky to say we should have the upper hand because they're playing with a stand-in; I really don't see things like that. I see a team who's very strong, who has a very strong and powerful player in terms of aim, in terms of energy into the game, and that matters a lot.
When we are at this level, we know it's not just threats and shooting that matter. You can tell that what jL brings to the team goes beyond all of the technical side; he shows how good of a teammate he is. You can see it during the broadcast and everything, and I'm sure he's adding a lot to their team. So I wouldn't say this brings any advantage to us.
