FOKUS confirmed on June 27, 2025, that Dimitar “itopata” Staev is stepping in as head coach for their VALORANT roster. The announcement follows the exit of Vlad “Painx” Ionescu, who had been guiding the team since late 2024.

Bulgarian coach itopata has accumulated many years of experience since his arrival on VALORANT in 2020, where he worked with some of the best European teams. He notably made a name for himself with Apeks, during the near-perfect run of the Norwegian club at Ascension 2023, an adventure that unfortunately ended with a defeat in the grand final against Gentle Mates.

He still leaped to the next level the following year, joining Leviatán in the VCT Americas. He started contributing to the team as an Assistant Coach before taking over as Head Coach from mid-June. Under his guidance, the Argentinian club shifted into a higher gear. After a mixed start to the season, the roster went on to claim the Stage 3 title and ended 2024 with a Top 3 finish at Champions Seoul. 2025 was a bit more difficult for him and Leviatán, leading to his departure and return to Europe, in the Challengers DACH.

Eyes on the EMEA Stage

FOKUS has long been a key player on the European Tier 2 scene, with a victory at VCL DACH Split 1 in 2022 and appearances at the VCT EMEA level before the launch of the current format. With regional competition becoming increasingly fierce, driven by teams like BIG and CGN Esports, bringing in a coach of itopata’s calibre reflects FOKUS’s ambition to remain at the top. The team is counting on his experience to tackle the upcoming Split 3 of the German league and aim for Ascension.