Despite a tumultuous Week 2,
Team Vitality remain solidly in the middle of the standings in the
2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Versus. With five matches remaining, the squad moves forward with confidence, aiming to secure a spot in the playoffs. In an exclusive interview, head coach
Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum speaks with
Sheep Esports about pressure and handling organizational expectations, settling into his new role, and the team’s goals for the rest of the year.
You end at 1-2 for the week but 3-3 overall. How are you feeling, especially after those two losses?
Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum: "I’m feeling okay. I think we made good progress throughout the week, even with the two losses. Honestly, if you had interviewed me yesterday after our Shifters match, I probably would have been a lot more stressed than I am right now. Week two is always a bit tricky because we went into a new patch with only three practice days. You can definitely feel it—you have limited time to adapt. Our meta read had to change mid-week, so that was a challenge.
Humanoid has changed the team dynamic a lot. How has it been building around him, especially with his relationship with Carzzy?
Pad: It’s been good, honestly. There are upsides and downsides to having Humanoid on the team. One of the main reasons we brought him in is to have someone who can push for a certain philosophy within the game. Marek Brázda might not be our most recognized superstar outside the game, but he has great habits—he sleeps well, eats well—and that’s what I care about. It’s definitely fun, but also challenging. I need to have sharp opinions if I want to be heard. But yeah, that’s fun for me.
This year, you’ve taken on more of a leading role as head coach, with Mac moving to a different role and several staff members supporting you, including two assistants, a strategic coach, and an analyst. How has it been managing all of that, especially with strong personalities like Humanoid on the team?
Pad: I’m learning. I’ve had a few experiences attempting to be head coach—during Worlds 2023 and before joining the LEC as well. But this year is definitely about getting used to watching less League and figuring out how to delegate efficiently. Having a big staff means I need to make sure I get the best out of all of them. Right now, I’m juggling learning how to delegate well to my coaches while also managing upwards toward upper management and making sure my time is spent effectively.
Can you give examples of things you’ve had to change recently, especially regarding management and staff responsibilities?
Pad: I learned a big lesson on the first day back after week one. I had booked a performance meeting, a coaching staff meeting, a full staff meeting, an official review, and a patch note review—all on the same day. There just aren’t enough hours in one day to do that. That was a great learning experience for me. Performance days are now on Thursday instead of Wednesday.
Beyond that, it’s been getting used to not doing the scouting reports on enemy teams myself. I need to hand that over to others and be okay with not having my hands in everything all the time. I’m getting there.
How do these management changes and the new roster affect team performance? There’s a lot of expectation on this Vitality lineup, especially since most of this roster is on its last contractual year.
Pad: It’s okay. My CEO, our lovely Neo, went on stream last year and said I’d be out of a job if we didn’t reach a certain position. Pressure is normal when you’re a competitor, so it doesn’t impact me negatively—it actually makes me more excited to do well.
Yes, there’s definitely pressure. Four of us are in the last year of our contracts. But it’s also best-of-one in the Winter Split, so right now we’re focused on building a good process. We’re making sure we learn as much as we can from how Marek views the game, and then integrate that with how I view the game. We’re trying to find a middle ground, so the team can play the same game of League of Legends together. It’s still too early, even with just one roster change, for that to be fully cemented in January.
Do you find it a bit awkward that the Winter Split is only best-of-ones?
Pad: I’m not a big fan of best-of-ones. Playing three days of BO1s in a week feels like a wasted opportunity. It’s difficult to find good scrim schedules around official matches—either before or after—especially if you had a hard loss. People aren’t always willing to book evening blocks, or sometimes they play earlier than you.
For me, best-of-ones three days in a row means we miss out on a lot of practice and only get three games a week. I’d much rather have a best-of-three, play all three games in one day, and then have two additional practice days.
With the pressure on this new lineup and the expectations set at the end of last year, what do you think should be Vitality’s end goal this year? Does it feel like a “last chance” to meet those targets?
Pad: [Chuckles] Yeah, that’s true. This is potentially my last year, so the goals are clear. From the organization’s point of view, it’s top four. In my eyes, it's top three, which means qualifying for Worlds. I think that’s everyone’s goal—Shifters, SK, even Thebausffs, who just won two in a row, probably wants to go to Worlds as well. Everyone wants to make it. For us, it’s the same. It’s all about securing a high placement in Summer.
Beyond team placements, do you have any personal goals for this year?
Pad: I want to figure out how much I enjoy head coaching and whether it’s really what I’m cut out to do. So far, I’m loving it. The only downside is that I end up watching less League than I usually do, and I really enjoy watching the game.
Another goal is to help Lyncas cement himself as a top jungler in Europe. I’d be very happy if he can do that, and I’d be very sad if by the end of the year he hasn’t—but he’s also had his chances. I think those are probably the two big personal goals for me.
Next week, Vitality has a tough schedule with matches against KC, G2, and GIANTX. What are you expecting from these games?
Pad: KC is definitely our toughest matchup next week. In scrims, it’s been about 45-55 in their favor, and on stage, they’ve been even more consistent.
G2 is unpredictable—you never know which version will show up. Maybe BrokenBlade locks in Lee Sin against Naak Nako , andit goes the same way it did against KC. But I think it’s probably KC most difficult, then G2, then GIANTX. We’re hoping for a 2-1, though a 3-0 would be even better.
Speaking of Naak Nako, do you think he’ll fix his posture at some point, or is it a lost cause?
Pad: He’s just ahead of his time. Someday, all of us will have Naak Nako’s chair position—you guys are just behind. That’s it."
