IJC Badlulu: "It’s my main goal right now, to reach the LEC at least once"

After a difficult start to their season with a disappointing LFL Invitational, have finally found their footing in the LFL, finishing the regular season with four wins to secure a spot in the playoffs. In the opening round, they will face , a team they managed to defeat during the regular season.

Ahead of the match taking place this Wednesday evening, the team’s toplaner, , shared his first impressions of the season with Sheep Esports, as well as his ambitions for the near future.

Lucas “Badlulu” Piochaud: “I feel good. I think we showed a strong level toward the end of the split and that we’re capable of competing with almost every team. In my opinion, are a step above the rest, but aside from them, the level is fairly even.

Badlulu: Initially, I wanted to come back to the French league; it was a priority for me. IJC had a strong season last year, finishing second in the Winter Split. Since my goal was to play in the LFL, I didn’t hesitate and accepted straight away.

Badlulu: We had quite different profiles within the team, which required more time to properly come together, and the format wasn’t suited to that situation. We played two or three poor games, and it was already over. I think we’re already showing better things in Spring, and we’ll keep improving.

Badlulu: Yes, the issue with that format is that it’s all or nothing. In two or three games, it’s easy to slip up and be eliminated immediately. And as I said, our team needed time, which we didn’t have during the LFL Invitational. That’s a bit unfortunate.

Badlulu: Yes, I still think about it. It’s my main goal right now to reach the LEC at least once. I believe it’s possible, but you have to win. There’s room in the toplane role. Some players are very strong in the LEC, but the position is still relatively open, so there’s an opportunity to earn a spot.

Badlulu: The LFL is extremely competitive. From one split to another, the top teams can change completely. In the LVP, we had a stronger team overall, so it was easier to reach the top of the standings. In the LFL, I haven’t really had major opportunities so far, and that’s what I’ve been missing.

Badlulu: I don’t think there have been that many changes. The meta will probably remain quite similar. It’s always interesting to introduce adjustments and reset the ladder, but competitively, I don’t think it will fundamentally change much. Maybe a few details, but the overall direction should remain the same.

Badlulu: With Teleport as a third summoner spell, it opens up a lot more possibilities. Last year, the issue was lane swaps happening in 90% of games, which made it difficult to play ranged champions or picks like Irelia. With these changes, we now have far more options, especially in Fearless formats, where you naturally move toward more lane-dominant champions than before.

Badlulu: The thing is, Adam was clearly the number one choice, there’s no real debate about that. Maybe as a substitute, I’m not entirely sure how it works, but I imagine they would have chosen another role where the depth is greater, like ADC. I didn’t really expect to be selected, since Adam has a much more established career and has proven a lot more. But yes, it would have been nice.

Badlulu: Honestly, saying yes would be a bit misleading. I didn’t really have any expectations; it was almost certain it would be Adam. But it’s interesting to think there might have been an opportunity if he hadn’t been there.”