FNC Vladi: "We're a better team than [NAVI, VIT, and GX]"

For the first time in 2026, are on a three-series win streak after taking down 2-0 in the LEC 2026 Summer Split. After a difficult year so far for the boys in black and orange, momentum finally seems to be shifting in their favor as the historic organization looks to reclaim its place among Europe’s best, currently sitting in fourth place ahead of their match against on Monday.

In an exclusive interview, midlaner sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his return to form, the improving mood within the team, as well as the ambitions and goals he has set for himself this summer.

Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis: “[Chuckles] Yeah, it's way better than when we were 0-3, obviously. I wouldn’t say we’re that happy since it’s still regular season and we haven’t locked in playoffs. We’re still taking it game by game. But obviously, it does feel good for everyone in the team to be on a six-game winning streak now.

Vladi: Yeah. Individually, I'm playing way better in many aspects. And as a team, I think I'm confident with how we play. Sure, we just beat the last-placed team today, but I still think we won convincingly, at least in the first game. The second game was a bit more sloppy, but I think we're doing good stuff on the map. We are using the same concepts that the best teams in the world do, and we apply them as well.

Vladi: I would say that Razork and I are both playing way better together than we were in spring. We’re also just more connected as a duo now even compared to the first weeks of summer. helps a lot with his calls on when he wants to swap or who goes where on side lanes. These things help a lot, obviously.

I think I’m also playing with much more confidence simply because I can see us playing way better around the map. When your team plays the map well, you can feel more free to make plays and lane however you want to.

Vladi: Yeah, I mean, we're making a lot of jokes, and we're also talking a lot. His English is pretty impressive. So yeah, we are pretty close together as teammates, and we’re both having fun with each other.

Vladi: We don't really do activities, but we will go outside to eat or... Yeah, mostly just going outside to eat. And then in our free time when we play solo queue, we just talk to each other and say some random stuff.

Vladi: [Laughs] Considering the other three, I would say so. Yeah, he's saying some pretty silly things.

Vladi: In my eyes, we can for sure make it to the top three—we can even win the split. If you don’t think this way, there’s no point in competing. I think we are a better team than all three of them. We just need to do the same things we did in our recent games, notably against . We had very good map awareness, and we just need to keep playing with that same confidence. Obviously, momentum also helps a lot right now. Overall, I’d say I’m confident. When it comes to the regular season, I think we can beat all three of these teams and maybe secure top four that way so that we can go to Madrid and fight for a Worlds spot.

Vladi: Yeah, I think so. People were not very… I mean, we were for sure not confident in the last two splits. After seeing our results, especially during the LEC Versus where we barely made playoffs and then got swept, I think that people in the team lost confidence. That was made even worse when we didn’t make playoffs in spring. People then maybe started to think that we were a team fighting for sixth at best, but now things are way better. I’m pretty sure everyone on the team thinks that winning the split is possible.

Vladi: I think we are playing side lanes very well. Like, when there is an objective, we know when to be there, how to manage and take positions, and where to be or what to do if we need to give the objective. We are pretty fast usually and smart on how to do this. We are probably one of the best teams at that.

Vladi: I would say that I'm way less nervous today. When you arrive in the LEC, you will face players that have been in tier one for a while—maybe years—so there’s definitely some pressure.

In my case, after two years in the LEC, stepping on the stage just feels like a normal day, at least most of the time. As I said, I was feeling a bit more nervous at the start of summer because of our results in spring and winter. I think it showed in my performance against , for example. But overall, with experience comes confidence.

Vladi: I mean, not really. I would say it's just another game. We just need to not overthink our standings. Sure, we’ve just gotten six wins in a row, but we shouldn’t get overconfident. You need to think as if you were 0-0 in the standings. This is just another game, so let’s play to our style. I think we’ll win that way.”