27.08.24 - 17:3027.08.2024 - 17:30·5m5 Minuten Lesezeit·
Von Armand Luque
FNC Razork: "Elyoya was taunting me, saying, 'I can't believe my bald top laner was the only one with the balls to pick Nidalee'"
Having punched their tickets to the LEC 2024 Season Finals in Munich, Razork takes time to dive into his team's recent results.
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"In my opinion, Elyoya, Yike, and I are the three best junglers in Europe. Any of us can out-jungle the others. Itâs just about having a good day."
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With tickets to Munich punched, Fnatic is now preparing for yet another attempt at securing a title for the first time in six years. At the helm, IvĂĄn "Razork" MartĂn DĂaz continues to lead the squad as they charge toward their final challenge in the LEC 2024 Season Finals before heading to the League of Legends 2024 World Championship. In an exclusive interview, the jungler discusses the jungle meta, facing MAD Lions KOI, Europe's best junglers, and more.
How do you feel after today's match, and were you expecting MAD Lions KOI to perform this strongly?
Razork: I was kind of expecting it to be a close series. I saw that people were putting us as the favorites. I thought we were going to win, but I knew MAD Lions KOI is actually a pretty strong team. So, I was expecting a lot of fights and intense moments. I didn't expect us to lose the fourth game; I thought we were going to close it out 3-1. But I also didnât expect us to win the third game. It was just back-and-forth comebacks from both teams. I'm pretty happy that we ended up winning.
Were you ever worried at any point, or did you always believe you would win?
Razork: I think the third game was tough because we had a really strange composition that I didnât like much. I thought it was going to be a hard one. But after we won the third game, I thought we were going to win 3-1.
We got a lead in the fourth game and I was pretty confident that we would close it out but then, we lost and I got a bit scared. We knew that we should have won that game and that we threw it pretty badly. But I stayed calm, focusing on that fifth game. Weâve played many game fives this year and usually do well.
The early game didnât start well, and we were really behind, but we kept fighting and trying to make comeback plays. I think Oscarinin stepped up a lot. Iâm not sure how we won, but we did.
Do you think Elyoya is one of the top junglers in Europe right now? He was struggling in recent splits, but now he's performing well. Do you see the conversation shifting from you and Yike to you and Elyoya as the top junglers in EU?
Razork: I think Elyoya wasnât playing too well before. Maybe he wasnât confident or something, but he was underperforming a lot. I know heâs a really good player and capable of much more. I think around 2-3 weeks ago, he started playing really well and got back to how he used to be. Right now, in my opinion, Elyoya is probably in the top 3 junglers. Iâd say itâs me, Yike, and Elyoya. Any of us could out jungle the others depending on the game, champion, and meta. Itâs just about having a good day. All three of us are very good, in my opinion, including myself.
Razork, preparing for his series against MDK. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Elyoya mentioned in his interview that he doesn't see MDK losing to G2 or Fnatic in Munich and suggested you should pick Nidalee against him in the finals. Do you have a response to that, and do you think MDK has what it takes to win the season finals?
Razork: He was taunting me in the chat, we were laughing a lot. We're good friends, and he was saying, "I can't believe my bald top laner was the only one with the balls to pick Nidalee. What about you? Pick her in Game 5." He was just taunting me. We didnât see an opportunity to pick Nidalee, so we didnât do it. But if he wins against G2 and makes it to the finals, maybe heâll get the pleasure of seeing it in Game 5. Weâll see!
Fnatic has been in three finals this year but hasnât secured a title yet, with struggles often linked to mental blocks, especially against G2. What will you do differently in the upcoming season finals in Munich to overcome this?
Razork: Yeah, it wasnât very enjoyable to lose all three games in the final against G2, especially since we were ahead in all of them. We need to stay relaxed in stressful situations and be more patient because we were making rushed plays, which allowed G2 to come back. Personally, I donât mind playing in front of big crowds, and Noah, who had some stress issues, is working hard on it. I think today he was very calm. If he keeps improving, I donât think it will affect us much on a big stage or in the finals. Against G2 or any other teams, we need to remember that even if weâre behind, like today, we can always come back and win.
The jungle meta has been stagnant, with AP and supportive junglers like Ivern and Zyra dominating. With Worlds coming up and patch 14.17 changing AD midlaners, do you think the meta will shift or stay the same?
Razork: I think there might be some changes, but honestly, Iâm not sure exactly what theyâre planning. The buff and nerf list looked pretty big. I do feel the AD role is completely OP, and Riot needs to address that. Theyâve nerfed some already, but not enough. Every game, there are AD champions in mid, sometimes even on top, and they dominate the ban list with 5 or 6 AD bans because theyâre just broken. Riot should definitely do something because if the enemy has an AD champ in mid and youâre stuck with an AP champ, unless itâs someone strong like Azir, the AD champion is way betterâscales better too, in my opinion.
Razork, taking home the victory with his team. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
With the Worlds Swiss Stage being held in Berlin at the LEC studio this year, do you think the event will feel less special compared to previous international locations?
Razork: I think it will be less special. Worlds is always about wanting to win, but part of the excitement is traveling with your team. I've been to China, Korea, New York, and Mexico, and those experiences were really motivating. Playing in Europe is good, but it feels different when you're playing in the same studio where you compete all year. Itâs always exciting to play against top players, though, so it will still be hype.
Do you have any final messages for Fnatic fans?
Razork: Yeah, it was a mega stressful series. Iâm sorry you had to go through this. It wasnât our intention, but we did what we could to make it entertaining. I hope we can bring the first title in a while for Fnatic next week.
Header Photo Credit: LEC Broadcast / Riot Games
