Eternal Fire's in-game leader, Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli, shared his impressions with HLTV after their shocking victory over Vitality in the ESL Pro League Season 20 playoffs. The Turkish team made an incredible breakthrough, becoming the first team from Turkey to defeat one of the best teams in the world in the BO3 series and reaching the semifinals of a major tournament for the first time.

“I felt very confident in myself and my decisions,” MAJ3R said in an interview with HLTV after the intense match, which ended after 44 rounds on the third map. Eternal Fire demonstrated a great game and are now preparing for an even tougher test in the semifinals against MIBR.

READ MORE: Eternal Fire knock out Vitality and advance to the ESL Pro League semifinals against MIBR

Confidence and leadership

"We didn't steal this win, we played very well. I felt fresh, made some good decisions, and executed some great fakes in overtime,” said MAJ3R, describing his role in the victory on the Inferno map.

The team leader emphasized that his strategic decisions and game reading were key to success: “I tried to find new solutions, new strategies that we hadn't used before to beat Vitality.”

The dream of creating a strong Turkish team

"My dream has always been to create a Turkish team that will play in big tournaments and compete with the best. I have been working for many years for this, and now I feel that we are very close to achieving this goal,” said MAJ3R.

The in-game leader also did not forget about the support of his fans and family: “I will do my best for my family, fans, and people who believe in me.”

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What's next for Eternal Fire?

After defeating Vitality in the quarterfinals, MAJ3R and his team are preparing to face MIBR. He noted that this match could be even more difficult, and the team will do everything possible to continue their successful path.