Team Vitality presents the new players of its VALORANT team: Sayf, runneR and Kicks. The leading esports club in France and Europe welcomes three recruits with solid experience and promise. They will accompany ceNder and Destrian to start an explosive VCT 2024 season.
THREE NEW TALENTS JOIN THE RANKS OF TEAM VITALITY
Saif "Sayf" Jibraeel, is a staple of the VALORANT scene. Winner of the VCT EMEA 2023 European league with Team Liquid, the Swede is considered one of the best players of the moment. His experience will be essential for the team, both in in-game communication and in the development of young talents!
Emil "runneR" Trajkovski is a rookie with big ambitions. At 19, the Macedonian duelist was elected MVP of the VALORANT Challengers 2023 East: Surge Split 2 with Diamant Esports. With impressive individual qualities, he must now prove his full potential in the major European league.
Kimmie "Kicks" Laasner, is a young prodigy from Estonia. He has great vision for the game. At 18, his potential is no longer in question after excellent seasons at bonk.
Sayf, runneR and Kicks join ceNder and Destrian on the roster. This year, Jokūbas "ceNder" Labutis will take on the IGL (In-Game Leader) role. Having the most experience within the club, this leadership position naturally falls to him while Tomas "Destrian" Linikas also remains a pillar of the team. With their experience developed in the French club and alongside the coaching staff, the two Lithuanians will be able to support the new arrivals, especially in the most challenging moments of the season.
“We are building our team for the long term! We have recruited two young players who have the potential to become among the very best in the world. We also have ceNder, new as IGL, and with the ability to take this roster very far.” explains Salah, head coach of the team “I have never felt such alchemy in a team, there is a real family atmosphere between the youngest and the most experienced. Everyone gets along very well. In addition to our two prospects, the fact that a player like Sayf joins Destrian and ceNder allows us to be very competitive and to adjust our room for maneuver according to the development of our youngsters. Believe me, they really have the fangs. And with this team, the sky is the limit.”
Five quick questions for @DSajoof to get to know him 🐝 pic.twitter.com/Q1mRoODnN8
— Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) September 29, 2023
TIME TO REBUILD, ALL TOGETHER
For this new season, Team Vitality is playing the explosiveness card. By composing this new roster, the club remains faithful to its desire to perform, while supporting new players to the highest level of the competition.
The five players will continue to be trained from Team Vitality’s premises in Berlin under the guidance of coach Salah “Salah” Barakat, assistant coach Harry “Gorilla” Mepham, and analyst Joseph “Strong” Edwards. Finally, Robert Mulgan remains as Team Manager, and Marcus Askildsen as Performance Manager, to support the players throughout the year.
With the goal of qualifying for the Champions League, the team needed a fresh start to rebuild. Together, they will have the best training conditions in order to reach their peak performance.
“This new team has incredible potential. And it is also up to us, as a club, to trigger the explosive dynamic that it is capable of instilling on the server. Firstly, to integrate our youngest players well by relying on the experience of our more seasoned players and our staff. And secondly, by supporting and shaping ceNder's strategic vision of the game, in addition to that of Sayf”. By meeting these two challenges, I think we can dream of reaching the Champions by the end of the year.” says Fabien “Neo” Devide, President of Team Vitality.