Vitality player Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut gave a post-match interview to Players reporter Sofiia Pikhalo after winning IEM Kraków 2026.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Not only you bring a trophy home, but also a souvenir from Kraków (medal). What do you feel about today's match and final?
I mean, really happy for the performance we show as a team, because we played really good. Maybe not Mirage at the end, but I think overall the game was pretty smooth on our side. We understood each other, the communication was good, the teamplay was good, individually everyone was playing good. So, always a good feeling when you have this team around you. So, I'm really happy for that and really happy to play in front of the Kraków fans for the first time.
How did you communicate after the map you lost?
Obviously, we were frustrated, because we have the game in our hands. But at the end, the comeback is... I mean, we can always lose this kind of match. So, obviously, we just have a small talk to bring back the good mood, to bring back the fire. And just to have, how can I say... To have the teamplay, sorry. To bring back the teamplay together, because we knew we are such a good team and we are playing together. And on the last remap, we just played together as a team. That's what made the difference, I think, between Mirage and the last day. We just played together as a team, trusting each other, trusting the teamplay. And that was good to see.
We have seen that trusting the teamplay is making you shine, because your stats were great the whole map. And after 29 playoffs, 29 MVP, isn't it tiring of winning everyone?
Of course not. It's always good to win. I won't say it's annoying, because I would be lying. I mean, we have this team to win any tournament we can. So obviously we're going to keep winning any tournament we can. So it's enjoyable to have this team around. So no, it's always good.
We've also seen the picture that next tournament that you can win, you can also win in the Grand Slam. So is it firing you to be more?
No, every time we have a goal in the team, we are not really thinking about that. Today was the back-to-back tournament, and no one in the team said anything about that. We are so much focused on what we can do in the moment, that we are not really focused on what we can achieve at some point.So obviously it's going to be in our mind, but we're not going to be focused on that.
After this final, someone can compare you and Molodoy together, and also some other young AWPers. So you're young, both of you, but you're a little bit older and have experience, much more than Molodoy. What can you say to him and other young players who have an AWP position? How to be best?
I think obviously the AWP part is amazing for him. I mean, he can hit any shots when he's feeling it. He can do aggressive moves, he can close the round on his own.So obviously when he's playing like this, it's really tough. But I just think he needs to be better as a team. Sometimes maybe he's playing a bit more selfish, I would say.
Selfish?
I mean, of course you need to be like this as an AWPer, but sometimes my friend is doing it a bit too much. You need also to put your teammates in a good situation, I would say. And I don't think he's doing it too much. So I think having this balance and for any player to shine around individually and as a team is always good.
So not only take space for you, but also give space for your team.
That's why we are good with Vitality. Everyone can shine, everyone can improve. I think it's not only for Molodoy, but for every AWPer, like young. If you can play good as a team, you're going to be good as an individual. So it's always good to have this feeling.
And any advice from the mental state? Because to lose some rounds or map and be tilted, it can affect the whole match at all.
Yeah, of course.
What can you say to some young players who can be tilted easily?
I mean, you can be tilted. You need to reset really fast. I mean, you are all human.
You can be tilted. You can have a bad game, but you just need to reset really fast because you have four teammates around you.And you don't have to put them under pressure or to have anything like that. So just reset. We are all human. Everyone can tilt. Everyone can have a bad game. I think the main one in our team is to reset really fast.
