Recently, it was announced that the organization KONO.ECF will represent Ukraine at the IESF World Championship 2024. In this regard, we decided to interview the founder of the KONO.ECF club, Yevhen Konoplyanka.
On June 23, we held an AMA session on our Instagram with the legend of Ukrainian football, Yevhen Konoplyanka, where anyone could ask their question. We also prepared a few questions from our editorial team.
How long before the end of your career did you know you would open an esports organization?
Briefly, I always wanted to open such an organization because I have always been a fan of this game and never had the time to do it. When I finally had the time, I didn’t wait long and got to work to achieve my childhood goal. So, my partner Oleg and I are pursuing this goal together.
How old were you when you first played Counter-Strike?
I think I was about eight or nine years old. I was going to school on a not-so-great day, in a not-so-great mood, and I saw an interesting corner with lights and people playing, looking happy. Should I go there or continue to school? I went in and realized this was for me.
Counter-Strike is like medicine. When you have a stressful day, you want to relax, and it’s a great way to unwind and enjoy. And when you meet with your teammates and spend time together, it’s like recovery.
Why Counter-Strike and not other games? There are many now like Dota, PUBG, Valorant. Is it because it’s from your childhood, or is there another reason?
It’s from childhood. Primarily, I don’t have much time to try other games. If I start playing new games, my kids will forget what I look like. So, let’s stick to Counter-Strike.
I remember those times when the guys would suggest playing other games like tanks, but within five minutes, I felt I was wasting time. So, I said no, back to Counter-Strike. Let’s not waste time.
How do you choose players for the Counter-Strike team? You have an impressive roster with some achievements. But what are the primary criteria to join the team?
Oleg and I looked at all the available players on the market and were interested in byr9. We contacted him, had a conversation, and initially saw him on trial. The guys played a friendly match, and we observed how they communicated during the game. We also wanted to see how well they understood the game. Seeing that they shot well and understood the game, we are now together.
What are the selection criteria for players?
Our goals are very high. It might look funny now, but I always set high goals in sports and esports. We aim to be a tier 1 team and experience what a major is like.
But I want to say that we will watch the players’ progress. They understand they need to improve their understanding of each other every day. If there’s no progress, as you understand, like in big football, we will have to make some changes.
We see progress and are moving toward our goal. But you know, anything can happen in life. Look at s1mple. s1mple is currently without a team. Even B1ad3 said in an interview that you have to start with a tier 3 team now.
So, if B1ad3 releases Sashko, we can consider this option as well.
Is it realistic in real life?
Yes, it’s all possible. Why not?
In your previous interview, you said you communicate with the team daily, and your role, as you explained, is a motivator. Have you tried to influence the team more deeply? Maybe become part of the training process?
No, I answer immediately, because you shouldn’t interfere where you can’t shoot as well as the players or understand as they do. It’s like if a basketball player comes and says, "Why are you stopping the ball like that? You should hit or pass like this."
So, I understand that the guys know and shoot much better than I do. But even a broken clock is right twice a day. First of all, I try to tell the guys to keep their heads cool, not to think they can’t shoot, or that their careers are over because they lost to some tier four team.
Anything can happen, such things occur. So, the main thing is to keep them balanced, always motivated, and understanding that they can’t relax.
How difficult was it, and what challenges did you face on the way to opening your own organization? And has the war complicated this process in any way?
You mentioned the war, and it has greatly affected us. Who needs this war? I hope it ends as soon as possible. They’ve really gotten on our nerves. Of course, it disrupted everything because we could have met with the guys and done bootcamps more often.
And believe me, it would have been a huge step forward if we could see each other and do these bootcamps. The progress would have been much greater.
Aside from the war, what are the challenges in creating an organization in Ukraine now?
What challenges did we face? Firstly, it’s not easy because you need to control the entire process. In our club, we have two analysts and a psychologist. And, as you understand, all this needs financing.
I already see that my pockets are getting emptier and emptier. You know, this challenge is just beginning. We had a challenge, not in a good way, when we had to replace a player.
There was a moment when we were looking for what wasn’t working. Unfortunately, we made one replacement. It has to be taken correctly. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell someone that even though they have five years left on their contract, they need to be out of the team by tomorrow.
However, changes in your roster were effective, and you should be congratulated on your first, albeit small, but very important for the team, victory in the qualification for the IESF, where your team represented Ukraine. And, actually, did your first impressions of your future team match your expectations when you created the project?
I was very happy when we qualified because it was a sign that we could see our players and talk in person, not just over the phone. That’s a good first fact.
Secondly, I didn’t expect that we could achieve this goal so quickly. And so, it’s a matter of pride to represent our country because we are going to Riyadh as the national team. It’s a source of pride. We hope that we go there not just to take a walk or take pictures with the skyscrapers and other buildings.
We want to show results, first and foremost. I hope that the guys will be able to go and everything will be fine. So, I am very pleased with this result.
How can a player who is just looking for opportunities get into the Counter-Strike team? As the owner of the organization, can you answer this question? How can you get noticed?
You remember that I’m an ex-footballer, not an ex-CS player, right? I’ll say something, and then the guys will look and think, what did we get ourselves into, he doesn’t understand anything. First of all, what I can say is, you just need to dominate. If you dominate, people will immediately pay attention to you. If you’re in the top five on FACEIT, you’ll also get noticed.
Sometimes I log in myself and see who is in the first place and what the situation is like. So, we check it out, show interest.
If you sit around doing nothing, nothing will happen. That’s the law. And our guys understand this. So, we talk to them very often and want to make it clear that they need to work. We have analysts, and we are in touch with them every day because you can’t expect results from nowhere. No, you need to set goals and achieve them.
What are your future plans? Will KONO.ECF have an academy?
Yes, there will be an academy. How can you have a first team without a second one? I follow the path of football logic.
You have a second team, and if someone in the second team performs very well, you take them, watch them train and play with the first team. You don’t become a talent at 20. You need to look for young players, so this organization is needed. There will be a second team.
What is your impression of CS:GO vs. CS2?
First of all, let me talk about the skins. The skins are nicer; they glow or something. I feel like a fifteen-year-old boy now. I look at these skins and am shocked. How can this be so interesting? And when you have this butterfly knife, it spins and glows—it’s cool.
A question from the KONO.ECF club player with the nickname byr9: Mirage or Dust II?
Well, we got beaten on Dust II yesterday. Look, I like both maps, but where I get beaten, I don’t like anymore. So, since we got beaten on Dust II, I say Mirage now.
Our team plays Dust II well, but we need to change something because amster with the smoke in the site and kensizor on that box is too predictable now; we need to change something.
What could traditional sports learn from esports?
First of all, endurance. How can amster sit and stare at those tunnels for five minutes? My eyes would already be bulging out. But I like this endurance; he's a cold-blooded guy.
He knows that kensizor is just two steps away from him, demolishing everyone, so he calmly stands there with the smoke. Endurance and psychology are key.
Because without psychology, you’re going nowhere. And character, because you can get demolished, you might want to turn around and say, "It’s GG." But then you see someone motivating you, saying, "Let’s show our ‘steel’ and move forward." So, these three aspects are essential.
Do you know if any other Ukrainian footballers want to create their own team?
I don’t know of any. But I know that many play. No one knows what might happen tomorrow. Even someone who might buy an organization. You might play with new skins one day and then say, "Let's buy an organization." So, it can happen in one day. At this stage, I don’t know of any.
What could esports players learn from traditional sports?
Yes, everything I mentioned before. Those three aspects—endurance, cold-bloodedness, and character—are crucial in both sports and esports. Without them, you can’t show yourself and progress anywhere.
Where would you like to be in esports in a year? What do you need to achieve in a year to say, "Yes, I had a great year"?
I want to reach at least the finals of some major tournament. Why not? If you set this goal, you can achieve it. So, the goal is to reach at least the final of a major tournament. Even Riyadh—if we reach the semifinals, it will already be great.
And yes, considering we are the national team of Ukraine, I can already imagine us reaching the semifinals. I’m jumping off the stage, they catch me, as if I won that clutch, I go there, but no one is there.
By the way, esports lacks the kind of reactions players have in football. You know, when they win a super important clutch or something, and it’s like in football, with people running around, taking off their jerseys, and performing some rituals.
Can you imagine winning a clutch, and then s4ltovsk1yy takes off his jersey and slides on his knees under the monitor?
Well, by the way, in esports, sometimes they stand on tables, sometimes they take off their jerseys too. Just more often would be nice.
We can try that in Riyadh!
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