Movistar KOI has claimed the top spot in Group A of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) after defeating Team Vitality to close out the stage. With playoffs ahead, the Spanish squad sets its sights on Fnatic as they aim for a spot at Worlds 2025. In an exclusive interview, toplaner Alex “Myrwn” Pastor Villarejo sits down with Sheep Esports to discuss his team’s progress, European banter, toplane creativity, and work ethic.

How does it feel to secure first place in the group by beating Vitality?

Alex “Myrwn” Pastor Villarejo: “It feels good, winning 2-0 and getting first place. Although, it feels pretty weird because we only played four games and the regular season is already over. It’s a weird format, too fast, and I didn’t really get used to it. Vitality is a really predictable team. We always knew their intentions, even when we fucked up in teamfights or in some plays, we knew what they were doing. It was more about what we did rather than what they did.

How do you feel about MKOI’s progression this split, where are you in the ramp-up towards peak form for Worlds, and are you happy with the form you’re showing right now?

Myrwn: We started super bad. In the first games I played, I didn’t feel like myself on stage. I was playing really poorly mechanically, and usually I’m sharper in officials in mechanics and teamfights. For example, today I played way better teamfights, I was calmer. We’re on the right track. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re going up for sure.

You’ll be facing Fnatic in the first round of playoffs, a very important best-of-five since the winner goes straight to Worlds. Are you confident?

Myrwn: I’m really confident. We know how to play into Fnatic, so I’m really excited to face them. Also, I’m playing into Oscar (Óscar Muñoz Jiménez) and Razork (Iván Martín Díaz), who are my friends, so it’s always good to face them. I will show Oscar and Razork who Daddy is.

What do you think the general power level of teams in Europe looks like, and what’s your prediction for G2 versus KC?

Myrwn: I believe G2 will stomp KC because right now G2 is the best team in Europe. They used MSI and EWC, both internationals, to get a lot of experience, and you can see in their level of play that they improved a lot from it. So right now they are the best team. KC is a good team—they beat us and are playing better than last split—but G2 is ahead of them.

G2 is seen as having improved a lot from MSI and EWC, while MKOI didn’t get the same narrative after internationals. Why do you think MKOI didn’t seem to get the same boost as G2?

Myrwn: In macro, we improved a lot. We got a really big improvement from both internationals. G2 plays cleaner, but since we started off really poorly at the start of the split, people won’t see it that easily unless you go deep into the games and actually analyze both teams. We both improved a lot.

What do you think about the overall banter in Europe? Do you agree with the idea that the LEC feels boring right now because players aren’t trash talking each other?

Myrwn: I can see why people don’t like trash talking. Anything you put on Twitter or say in an interview—if you lose—you have everyone, even your own mother, tweeting about you, and it’s really disgusting. Of course you should get banter; if someone is trash talking you, people should throw trash talk back. But it reaches a point where on social media people exaggerate a lot, and it’s not that deep—it’s a competition. People should enjoy it more. That’s one of the things we’re missing in general. People don’t realize competition is one thing and we are people too, and sometimes they go too deep.

Have you ever felt the pressure from fans or negative reactions when giving quotes in interviews? Has it ever affected you personally?

Myrwn: I would say mostly during my first year. This year, for example, I lost to KC and had like 300 KC fans retweeting my quote on my tweet, but I don’t care. I just think it’s funny. I don’t mind as a player. It just makes me more excited the next time I face them.

What do you think about the overall work ethic in Europe, especially with Worlds approaching? Do some teams struggle with seriousness or focus during practice?

Myrwn: Being honest, I think it improved a lot from last year, at least from what I could see in scrim quality from all teams. It’s getting better every time. Of course, it’s a process—teams aren’t going to suddenly fix all their problems and start practicing perfectly. For example, GX is a team where if you’re five minutes late, they’ll start solo queue, so they force you not to be late, and I respect that. If you’re coming 20 minutes late, it’s your problem. There are many teams like that. G2 is always doing really well, KC is doing really well this year. All these teams have a strong work ethic, and the quality of scrims has improved from last year.

Can we expect more diversity in your top lane champion pool for playoffs? Did Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik recent Rek'Sai and Kled inspire you, and how do you approach creative picks?

Myrwn: I’ve always liked Rek'Sai since last year, so I’ll for sure be playing Rek'Sai. I just played it in solo queue, and I’m not scared to say it—teams should be ready. I always have a lot of champions I can play. That’s why, if it’s a best-of-five and I have to play Irelia into Yorick because it’s the best champ in the draft, I will do it—I’m not scared. Maybe Akali too. I’ll just adapt to my team and what they need, and I’ll perform well.

If you could isekai yourself into any anime universe, which one would it be?

Myrwn: I have to go with Sword Art Online. It’s my favorite because it’s one of the first anime I saw. I’ve seen all the seasons, and I’ve played all the gacha games there are for Sword Art Online. I just really like it—I’d say SAO.

Anything you want to say to the fans before we wrap up?

Myrwn: Thank you for supporting us. I hope you’re happy with this 2-0 and first place. We’ll make sure to improve for playoffs and reach Worlds.”