Today, the Japanese club known as FENNEL secured an incredible victory at VCL Japan: Split 1, clinching a spot in the competition's grand final. Consequently, the Bo3 portal conducted an interview with one of the team's coaches known as Ivan "Johnta" Shevtsov.

Over nearly two years of collaboration, the coach has made a significant contribution to FENNEL development on the Japanese scene. Since his arrival, the team has reached new heights and has shown consistent improvement over the past few years.

In a brief interview, Johnta answered several questions from our editorial team related to star player Xdll and discussed the difficulties encountered during the team's remote training sessions.

Bo3: Do you have concerns about player Xdll, despite his good performance during the current season? Are you afraid he might again violate contract rules, as was the case in 2022?

Let me tell you straight away. There was a situation with Xdll where he was just playing matchmaking, a non-competitive match on another account. It wasn't related to account boosting; he was just having fun with friends. But despite this, there was a minor scandal, and we decided it would be right to suspend him from the game because we had won an important qualification for a significant tournament. At that time, he was surrounded by some negative influences that affected him poorly.

Bo3: How do other team members feel about Xdll after the problems that arose in 2022?

After that, many things changed, and he changed his mindset quite significantly. That's why we gave him another chance, brought him back into the main roster, because there were thoughts of making him a streamer or letting him play for another team. But we still treat him well, and we currently have a very cool atmosphere and good relationships among the players in our team. And we believe in him a lot and see that he is progressing, and we are confident in his game. The main thing is that he enjoys the game and himself. And he shows it in the results.

Bo3: What are your impressions after Xdll 1 vs 5 clutch in the match against Sengoku Gaming? Do you emphasize clutch situations during training?

His clutch in the 1v5 was very powerful. During Xdll training sessions, he displayed a really cool game. When opponents made mistakes, he capitalized on them to the fullest. It was particularly noticeable at that moment.

Bo3: What do you think caused FENNEL to face such difficulties in the match against Sengoku Gaming? In your opinion, was it due to Sengoku good form or FENNEL shortcomings?

With Sengoku Gaming, we have a certain rivalry that resembles a derby because our opponents know our strengths and weaknesses well. Their coaching staff, whom I've trained with, includes Eddie Life and Meltdown coaches with whom we've had a lot of interaction since they were previously part of FENNEL. So they understand us well, and we have similar playing styles, similar to what I teach. The match was tense because we weren't in top form.

Bo3: How do you assess your chances in the grand final? Your previous encounter with Reject ended in defeat for you. Do you think you can handle them in the grand final?

In any grand final, the game unfolds differently. There are many factors that can influence how teams play. The fact that we lost to Reject in the last two matches doesn't matter. Even when they show good results, we don't lag behind and work on what didn't work for us. We had ten days to prepare for the grand final, and we squeezed everything we could out of them. I think we're in decent shape, and I believe our chances are 50/50.

Bo3: In your opinion, how effective is your own contribution to the team's development given that your involvement with the team mostly occurs remotely?

There are some difficulties due to the sense of distance in influencing the team, and we're actively working on that. Currently, we're developing new approaches to transferring my knowledge and impacting the team. We've brought in a new team member who was previously a player and now works as an assistant coach and analyst. We communicate actively with him, creating new team processes. Together, we're working to make my contribution even more significant. Sometimes it feels like I might be giving more than others are receiving from me. However, from a distance, I see how the team is developing under my influence and gaining more experience both individually and as a collective. We're gradually moving towards our goals.