Swani: If being unstable means winning IEM Cologne and Katowice, I'm okay with that
Swani served as the interim head coach of G2 Esports at the beginning of 2023, guiding the team to victory at IEM Cologne and IEM Katowice during his one-year coaching tenure. Following the conclusion of the BLAST Premier Global Finals, he will officially depart from G2, handing over coaching responsibilities to the new head coach, TaZ.
Despite G2's disappointing performance at the BLAST Premier Global Finals, in an interview with foreign media, the German coach expressed satisfaction with the team's performance over the past year.
Q: The results of G2 in this tournament are disappointing. How do you feel?
A: It's terrible. It feels like we had control over both matches we lost.
In the match against FaZe, we should have easily closed out the battle. Moreover, on the Inferno map, we had a perfect read on the game, everyone knew what the opponent was going to do, but we still lost. Then, on the decider map Nuke, after losing the first gun round, we collapsed and ended up losing the match.
Q: Aleksib's clutch in that game was a turning point. What happened at that moment? How was the team's morale after that round?
A: I know these situations happen. At that time, we were aiming to quickly finish that round, everyone rushed to find people, and as a result, Aleksib managed to win the 1v1 clutch. Obviously, after that round, our morale plummeted, and suddenly it felt like we were a different team playing the match. However, we still gave our best effort, but if we had won that round, maybe the score would have been 9-3 or 10-2.
Q: Is finishing in the 6th place at this event, which marks your last event with G2, more disappointing?
A: It is indeed a bit disappointing. I feel that we played the best CS in the new version, even though people only see us being eliminated in the CCT. But I'm very satisfied with G2's performance. If they continue playing this way, you'll see clear improvements. I'm very pleased with how nexa integrated; he brought a lot of energy. I have no reason to believe they won't achieve good results next year.
Q: Looking at G2's overall performance this year, how do you reflect on it from a more positive perspective?
A: I am content. People say we aren't consistent enough, but if their idea of inconsistency is winning IEM Cologne and Katowice, I'm okay with that. Look at Heroic; they've consistently made it to the playoffs, securing a top-four spot, but I believe they will eventually win a championship. I don't understand why people always say, "G2 is too inconsistent, it's terrible." But if you think that the two IEM championships were obtained through luck, then please try it yourself. Good luck to you.
Q: Will you continue to support these young men next year?
A: Of course. I've fought alongside NiKo for 3 years and shared 4 years with huNter-. They are like friends and family to me. I'll always follow and support them, and I'll forever wish them all the best. In the past three to four years, I've spent more time with them than with my family or girlfriend, so they are very important to me.
