Keiko: “We’ve finally proven that we’re going to try to become the best in Europe” – VCT EMEA Stage 2 Interview

Though a top side in their region all season, Team Liquid has so far struggled to strongly contend for an actual title within VCT EMEA so far in 2025. But that may be shifting. A win against Stage 1 winners Fnatic not only secured TL a top seed in playoffs, but the manner of victory saw the holders stunned as Liquid found a 13-1 win on the opponent’s map pick. Following the sensational victory, Hotspawn spoke to Team Liquid’s Georgio “keiko” Sanassy for an interview.

Hotspawn: Talk me through the 13-1 on Ascent.

It must be nice to beat Fnatic anyway, but how was it to do so so dominantly?

Keiko: We prepped a lot for this map pick and there was some really good work from the coaching staff behind the scenes that made it possible. I think as players we just followed and we executed on the plan pretty well, I would say. And yeah, I think it was a great game plan for this week for us.

Was it a little bit frustrating not to have managed 13-0?

What were the reactions like when a 13-0 was looking possible?

I remember the last round, it was just like: “Alright, whatever”. We always 13-1 teams, we never 13-0 know them for some reason. We always choke one round. And yeah, I think we just kind of accepted that fact we’ve 13-1’d a lot of teams, just never can get the 13-0.

While Team Liquid has felt like the benchmark for top teams in EMEA this year, you’ve always seemed just short of the champions in both Kickoff and Stage 1.

How significant is a win against Fnatic, given that they were largely seen as the league’s strongest team?

We’ve got a lot of new ideas and new playstyle — new identity as a team. And yeah, I think that with this, I think we’ve finally proven that we’re going to try to become the best in Europe at this point. I think that today we finally found the synergy since trexx came in. I think we were lacking a little bit of synergy with the team and a lot of work outside of the server had to be done — and a lot of work in as well.

I think that it definitely took a bit, but I think this win gives us a lot of confidence in that we can be the best team in Europe.

Your IGL, nAts, is quite unique in that he’s spoken about how he sees the overall leadership of the group as more important than his calls within the game. He’s also become very well known for his inspiring speeches.

How do you find it playing alongside him, with his unique approach?

I think definitely with the speeches, we had new players coming at the start of the year and from a bunch of different teams, and there was a lot of nerves on stage. I think everyone kind of saw that at the start of the year we weren’t playing great.

I think there’s a lot of freedom in the team, so there’s a lot of trust from one another. So yeah, definitely he’s a leader, and you listen to him. So it’s a good thing to have one direction — one idea that everyone wants to follow, and not be split up, everyone wants to do their own thing. So it’s good to have that that main voice anyways.

Apeks and Gentle Mates have both had their relegations confirmed this week, seeing both non-partnered teams currently rock bottom of their Stage 2 groups. I spoke to penny recently, having just stepped up from tier two to tier one, and he felt there’s little, if any, difference in skill level between most tier one and tier two players.

As someone who’s been a success coming from tier two, what do you make of the current situation?

I definitely think that tier two is easier. I think everyone in tier one, if they went to tier two would absolutely farm, to be honest. And, for example, players who came from tier two to tier one this year, like ComeBack, he absolutely farmed tier two.

It’s more about how good your team is, and I think there’s a lot of players that are in good teams and it’s a lot to do with experience in tier one as well. So there’s a massive experience gap being on stage. I felt it last year as well, definitely acclimating to tier one: being on stage, playing in front of people, not being at your home, comfortable, no pressure and stuff like this.

But yeah, I think there is there is a big gap, because I think everyone in tier one is the best of the best. And you know, most people from tier one were playing in tier two and were absolutely farming, like PROFEK, LêwN, Magnum was farming in Apeks as well. And ComeBack.

Everyone farmed tier two. Everyone’s good. So it’s just the same: you’re playing against the best of the best, so it is harder than tier two. There’s definitely a lot of farmer teams that you just absolutely farm stats on in tier two, to be honest.