9z player Luciano Luchov Herrera gave an interview to Players ahead of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 playoffs. The esports athlete discussed their journey to the playoffs and shared his expectations for the upcoming match against FURIA.
Hello Luchov, congratulations on making it to the playoffs! You have reached a very advanced stage of the Major, which many people didn't expect. Do you feel any pressure or fear before playing on the big stage?
Hello, thank you very much. No, I don't think we feel any pressure. We knew not a lot of people believed in us to make the playoffs, so I think it's actually good for us. But now, I think we have to play knowing that we can win the tournament and manage that expectation.
Looking back at the group stage, which opponent was the toughest challenge for you, and what made that matchup so difficult?
In my opinion, our most difficult match — or best matchup — was against Team Spirit. Especially the second match. When we played them in stage two, we initially had no chance. After that, we talked a lot and improved a lot of things ahead of the second match. I think we did very well. Unfortunately, we didn't win, but we slept on it and thought a lot about that match. I would also mention Aurora. It was a difficult match because they played well, but I think it was mostly difficult because of our emotions.
Looking at your playoff bracket, the first match seems like the biggest obstacle. If you overcome this challenge, can you already picture yourself playing in the Major final?
Yes, I think it will be a very difficult match. They will do everything to win, but so will we. As for the potential matchup for the finals, right now I think it will be Spirit. I feel like Vitality is not at their best performance right now. Of course, we know they are Vitality, and it will be very difficult for Spirit to beat them, but I think Spirit will make it to the finals.
Do you already know what to expect from FURIA and how to hold your ground against them?
I think we will just have to play our own game. They are aggressive, so the most important thing will be to counter their style, wake up early in the game, and pay a lot of attention to everything.
A lot of teams arrive at tournaments as underdogs, but your run shows that it's possible to compete with the best. What advice would you give to teams that want to follow a similar path and surprise everyone at big events?
I would tell them to believe in what they know they can do and not think too much about the other teams. Just play your game and trust in what you know you are good at.