The defeat by CTBC Flying Oyster marked the end of Movistar KOI's journey at the MSI 2025. Despite being one of Europe's strongest representatives, the team couldn't deliver the expected level of play. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, MKOI support Álvaro "Alvaro" Fernández del Amo shared his perspective on the reasons for the failure, assessed the strength of their opponents, and discussed the team's future.

The End of Europe's Hope

Movistar KOI concluded their run at the Mid-Season Invitational on July 5 after losing to the Taiwanese team CTBC Flying Oyster. This was a blow not only to the players but also to the European region as a whole — both EMEA teams were eliminated in the first round of the lower bracket. According to Álvaro, the reason for the failure wasn't strategy or execution, but rather mental unpreparedness.

Individually, we had the level to compete with the best, but psychologically, we weren't ready. We were scared. We weren't decisive against CFO.

 

Emotions, Pressure, and Lack of Confidence

Álvaro noted that the team faced similar issues in the series against BLG. He supported Elyoya, who also spoke of mental pressure earlier.

Today we played with regrets. Personally, I tried to play without them — that was my goal. I might regret how I prepared, but I think I managed. I had no regrets.

 

He also commented on the second match, where the opponent's aggressive early game disrupted their plans.

When they used Bard's portal and got a double kill on the bottom lane, the game became much harder. We didn't lose because of the draft, but that situation really limited us.

 

CFO Punished Every Mistake

In the fourth match of the series, Movistar KOI found themselves under pressure again after an unconventional start by Pantheon from the bottom side of the map. This put the team in a losing position from the start.

Pantheon started from the bot, and we lost control. Thresh could come from behind, Pantheon could skip camps. We had to choose: push the wave and risk it, or give it up and lose tempo.

 

The State of EMEA and the Team's Future

Despite criticisms of the region, Álvaro believes that progress is there, it's just not visible in the results yet.

We finished 7–8, but in scrims, it looked different. We grew as a team, but more needs to be done. The experience we gained here will help us come back stronger.

 

He also noted that other regions are catching up, and the international scene has become much more competitive.

There used to be only two real leagues — LCK and LPL. Now every team is pushing others forward in their own way. The gap is still there, but it's closing.

 

Thoughts Before the Summer Split

Evaluating the team's overall performance, Álvaro emphasized the experience and the need for improvements.

This was my first trip outside Europe. We'll return home, prepare for EWC and the summer split. We need to work on mistakes, especially in laning and self-confidence.

 

In conclusion, he spoke about the Western mental block against Asian teams.

If you're scared, you've already lost. I'm not scared. I respect strong players, but I don't look up to them. I want to beat them next time.

 

Movistar KOI represented Europe at MSI 2025 following a successful spring split in the LEC. However, in the first round of the main stage, the team lost to BLG, and in the next match to CTBC Flying Oyster, leading to their elimination from the tournament. The second representative of the region, G2, was also eliminated on the same day, sparking increased discussions about a crisis in European LoL.

Mid-Season Invitational 2025 will take place from June 27 to July 12 in Canada with a prize pool of $2,000,000. You can follow the news, schedule, and results of the tournament through this link.