Two weeks ago,
Team Secret Whales exited
Worlds 2025 with a 1-3 record after falling to Movistar KOI in their elimination match. The
League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) representatives returned home with their heads held high as they set their sights on the 2026 season. In an exclusive interview, head coach
VĂ” âNaulâ ThĂ nh LuĂąn sat down with
Sheep Esports to discuss the teamâs elimination and what comes next.
Youâve been eliminated after a tough series. What were your thoughts about the game?
VĂ” âNaulâ ThĂ nh LuĂąn: "My thoughts are that I kind of regret it because we had a big advantage in game two and didnât use it to win. Then we just got reverse swept. So I feel a bit ashamed about it, and itâs also quite sad to stop here.
You prepared well for MKOI and surprised many by winning the first game. Would you have changed anything about your or your teamâs preparation going into the match?
Naul: I think we had very good preparation coming into this series, and I donât think we needed to change anything. We already did everything we could. It was also the first time for all five of our players on the Worlds stage, so itâs understandable that even though we had a big advantage, we didnât have the experience to use it to end the game. To me, itâs a shame, but we played with no regrets, and we can hold our heads high leaving the tournament.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Äinh "Taki" Anh TĂ i said in another Sheep Esports interview that he wants fans to remember TSW as a young, energetic team, which fits the Worlds theme of âearn your legacy.â What do you think is your teamâs legacy at Worlds this year?
Naul: I think our preparation and scrims during Worlds were quite good, so I had very high hopes for our performanceâbut it didnât go as I expected. For me to talk about what legacy weâve shown here, I donât think Iâm in the right place to say that right now, because with our loss, a lot of peopleâanalysts, teams, and fansâare watching. So I canât really define that at the moment. But I know that if we get the chance to come back to another international event, weâll definitely be a better and more experienced team compared to this one.
Many fans started following you because of your teamâs contagious energy and strong social presence. What are your thoughts on gaining more international fans?
Naul: I really appreciate that we came here as a Vietnamese team and gained a lot of recognition from international fans. Weâre very happy that people enjoyed the energy we brought to the Worlds stage. The most important thing for me is to keep that energy within the team. Weâll keep trying to gain more experience, stay positive, and hopefully next year we can bring even more new things to the fans. I really appreciate everyone who followed us on this Worlds journey.
This yearâs Worlds song is called âSacrifice.â Youâve been in the scene for 10 years nowâfirst as a player and then as a coach. What sacrifices have you made to stand here at Worlds today?
Naul: First of all, I really appreciate your question. Itâs a bit emotional to talk about sacrifice. I canât believe Iâve spent 10 years in this career and that I still have the same feelingsâstill being here, playing at the highest tier, the biggest tournament of the year. I just hope Iâll have more chances to come back here and more time to stay with the passion and career that Iâve stuck with for 10 years."
Header Photo Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games
