Sheep Esports - MKOI Alvaro: "Losing to G2 and KC showed we weren't doing enough. We're putting in even more effort now, but we need to keep the bar high"
MKOI Alvaro: "Losing to G2 and KC showed we weren't doing enough. We're putting in even more effort now, but we need to keep the bar high"
After their first win, Movistar KOI sits at 1-2, with Alvaro sharing their renewed mindset and plans in a Sheep Esports exclusive.
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Ălvaro "Alvaro" FernĂĄndez, support of Movistar KOI in the 2025 LEC Spring Season.
"Right now, our practices look much closer to our official games. Itâs really important that practice mirrors officials, because if you train one way and then the actual games feel completely different it just makes things harder"
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After earning their first win in the League of LegendsEMEA Championship (LEC) Spring Group Stage with a victory over Team Heretics, Movistar KOI now sits at 1-2. Despite the standings, the team is approaching things with a fresh perspective, doubling down on their efforts to rise to the challenge. In an exclusive with Sheep Esports, support player Ălvaro "Alvaro" FernĂĄndez discusses their new training methods, the leagueâs revamped format, and the upcoming roadtrip to Madrid.
What are your thoughts on todayâs victory against Heretics? Are you happy with how you won, considering the shaky early game in Game 1 but the cleaner Game 2?
Ălvaro "Alvaro" FernĂĄndez: Of course, Iâm happy because I think we were in control at every moment of the games. As you said, in the early game of Game 1, we made some mistakes. For example, we knew Zyra was coming bot and that she would be faster in tempo because she clears faster, but I still played a bit too aggressively in lane. I got caught, and we ended up dying two for one. But besides that, I would say we played pretty confidently. As Jojo (Joseph Joon Pyun) said in other interviewsâand I agreeâbeing disciplined is important. So, this win shows that weâre being more disciplined in training as well.
Last week, Elyoya (Javier Prades) said your practice wasnât great, but this week Jojo said it was your best so far. What changed to make things improve so much?
Alvaro: There are a lot of things. Of course, when you lose to the two teams youâre likely going to face in the finalsâG2 and KC, who I consider good rivalsâyou start to realize, âOkay⊠this isnât enough.â You need to put in even more effort, more hours. Youâre always trying to give your best, but sometimes you see itâs just not enough.
In terms of how we practiced before, I think we approached it a bit differently. Right now, our practices look much closer to our official games, and I think thatâs what Jojo was referring to when he talked about discipline. Itâs really important that practice mirrors officials, because if you train one way and then the actual games feel completely differentâespecially with the added pressureâit just makes things harder.
So I agree with Jojo. Weâre being more conscious during scrims, putting in more effort. This was a really good week, but itâs still not enough. We need to keep holding the bar high.
Consistency has been a big topic around KOI. GrabbZ (Fabian Lohmann) recently said your team can beat top teams but still lacks consistency. How do you actually go about fixing something that difficult?
Alvaro: As I said, itâs complicated. Repetition helps make it easier for next time, but for me, the most important thing is that now weâre setting clear objectives. After every scrim, we have three different goals, and we rate each one from 1 to 5. I wonât say exactly what weâre working on, but two are about map control, and one is more about coordination.
Even if we win or lose, we still evaluate these goals, and if weâre doing things well, we aim for a 4 or 5. But weâre holding the bar highâgetting a 5 is really hard in our team. This week, we actually had some 5s, which shows weâre capable of doing it. The best part is when you finish a game and do reviews. You can really see the improvement.
Of course, itâs not always consistentâif youâre not hitting the goals the next day, then you have to ask why. Whatâs stopping you from performing? A lot of that is individual, so we need to grow both as a team and personally. I think this is how you can train consistency.
But yeah, going into an official, like today, you still get scared something might go wrong and you wonât perform. Thatâs why this win is really importantâit shows that you can do it, and it gives you that confidence.
The LEC format is very different now, with a longer seven-week group stage and best-of-threes. Do you think this format is good for a team like Movistar KOI? How are you approaching this split differently, now that thereâs more time to reflect and improve?
Alvaro: Before, as a player, I always wanted to compete as much and as fast as possibleâcompetition is what I play for, itâs what I love. But in this case, not competing as often and having more time to practice before games really shows how important practice is.
For example, if we play on Sunday next week, thatâs six days to prepare. But sometimes you play on a Saturday and then not again until the following Mondayâyou can have eight or nine days without an official match. So you really have to manage that time well. Personally, I like it, but I would also prefer to compete more if I could.
I think this format also shows how teams handle things emotionallyâhow strong their mental is. If things arenât going well, it can be really hard to stay focused all the way until playoffs two months later. Plus, there are LAN events in Spain and France, so that adds more pressure. Coming back from a tough spot can be even harder.
But at the same time, the extra time can make things easier. Last yearâs Winter Split was only three weeks, so now you have way more time to practice. The meta will shift a lot, and you get time to test and prove new things. There are a lot of scrim days, and always chances to try something new or better understand how the game is evolving.
Youâll be playing against Fnatic in Madrid soon during the LEC Roadtrip, which looks like your biggest challenge coming up. Are you excited for that match, and what are you expectations like?
Alvaro: Iâm really hyped to play at the event. When I go to Madrid, both my mother and my brother are coming, so thatâs going to be really hype. And playing in front of our crowd, since itâs in Spain, makes it even more exciting.
Facing Fnatic, like you said, theyâre a strong opponent. We lost to them last split, so winning nowâbeating them after they eliminated usâwould feel even better. But in the end, as we always say, weâre focusing on the present. Our biggest enemies are ourselves every day. You just need to beat yourself to become a better version.
After that, it doesnât matter who the opponent is. We just need to play how we practiced, focus on what weâve trained for, and give our best. I think Fnatic is a strong contender, but we can definitely beat them.
Alvaro: Yeah, I was playing with Zeph earlier. I played fast because I had to eat and do a presentation right after, so I didnât have time for solo queue. I really like playing Arena, but I think the best is Myrwn (Alex Villarejo) for sure. He knows everythingâevery single augment and item.
Iâd consider myself the second best, then Elyoya as third. Supa (David Garcia) would be fourth since he doesnât play it much, and Jojopyun fifth because he doesnât like it. So yeah, Myrwn is definitely the best. We even won the LEC Arena TournamentâMyrwn and meâbecause weâre tryhards. And yeah, I think Myrwn is top 1.
Armand Luque is an interviewer and journalist with deep roots in the EMEA League of Legends scene. A veteran of the esports world, they hail from France and are best known for their work on Leaguepedi...