Bruised but not defeated, reigning League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) champions Karmine Corp now sit at a 2-1 record after falling to Fnatic in the Spring Group Stage. Still, following their second-place finish at the First Stand tournament, the squad remains undeterred—driven to overcome their hurdles and improve on their shortcomings. In an exclusive with Sheep Esports, the team’s midlaner, Vladimiros “Vladi” Kourtidis, sat down for an interview to discuss their return from First Stand, the recent loss, and his personal path to improvement.

How do you feel about the start of the Spring season so far, and what are your thoughts on today’s loss to Fnatic?

Vladimiros “Vladi” Kourtidis: "We’ve been a bit sloppy since the Spring Season started. We’ve had some days with good results in scrims, and some with pretty bad results, it’s inconsistent. It’s been like that since First Stand—maybe it’s because of the break, or because we didn’t get as much practice as the other teams. I would say this is our main hurdle right now.

Can you tell me more about that short break? When did you start scrimming again?

Vladi: We only got three scrim sets before the start of the split on March 29th. If I remember correctly, we started scrimming again on the 26th, which left us little time and is one of our current issues, as I said.

Do you think that this loss against Fnatic is a cause for concern? Or is it just a regular season match which should be brushed off?

Vladi: I’m not sure about how the others feel about it, but in my eyes, I honestly don’t really care that we lost today. It’s a regular season game. Obviously, I care about the fact that we played badly today, and I care about improving on our mistakes, but this loss is meaningless in the bigger picture. We’ve had the same story last split—we lost to Fnatic and then ended up beating them in playoffs. The group stage is just a way to practice for playoffs I would say.

Do you still think Karmine Corp is the best team in the LEC, or do you feel like you’re being challenged more now by teams like Fnatic and G2?

Vladi: Yeah, Fnatic and G2 are definitely in the same tier as us. There aren’t huge differences between the top teams. Obviously, anyone would say that about their own team, but I do think we’re better than them, nonetheless. Still, they are also strong, which Fnatic got to prove today.

People joked about you going from facing top international mids like Zeka (Kim Geon-woo) and Creme (Lin Jian) back to facing LEC midlaners again. Would you say you are hungry to go back to an international event and how have you felt facing European midlaners again?

Vladi: To be fair, it was only about two weeks in Korea. If I had been there for a month, it would maybe have been different. I think our midlaners here are not bad at all. Humanoid (Marek Brázda), Caps (Rasmus Winther), nuc (Ilias Bizriken), and even jojopyun (Joseph Joon Pyun)—we have pretty fine midlaners. I don’t see returning to Europe as a weird thing.

What was your favorite memories from First Stand and your time in Korea overall?

Vladi: Game-wise, the 35-minute game against Hanwha Life Esports that we won in finals. It was a mega banger, even though we lost the series. In terms of our trip, we also went to a really good Korean barbecue place. I really enjoyed it.

How confident is Karmine Corp about winning the Spring Split and going back-to-back after Winter, especially with so much of the season still ahead?

Vladi: Obviously, I think getting through the regular season will be rather easy. We’ll make it through and reach playoffs. We have a lot of time to scrim and improve. The one thing about us is our ability to fix issues and learn from our mistakes when we find them. So yeah, I think we’ll win again in spring.

As a rookie who just played your first international event, what’s the biggest thing you learned from laning or playing against top mid laners, and how are you applying that to improve your own gameplay?

Vladi: I would say the biggest thing is just the way they play the map. They also have very, very strong laning phase, so I’m trying to incorporate some of that into my own gameplay. I didn’t really get to play a ton against them, but hopefully I will get a rematch at the Mid-Season Invitational or at Worlds and be able to beat them there.

If you were to replay First Stand with the knowledge you have today, do you think that Karmine Corp could have had a cleaner group stage or even win against HLE in finals?

Vladi: It’s hard to say. Hanwha Life Esports is looking very, very strong. I wouldn’t say we would be sure to beat them, but maybe we would have had more of a chance. It’s clear that even though we won a game, we did not stand a chance back then. We just need time. This roster needs time. We have a lot we can improve on before Worlds comes around.

After defeating G2 and Caps last split, many started calling you to the best midlaner in Europe. How far do you feel you are from becoming the undisputed best in the region and potentially taking over from Caps?

Vladi: It’s too early to say that. Since the start of the Spring Season, I don’t think I’ve really shown up yet. I haven’t shown performances which could be attributed to the region’s best midlaner. We will see though. I’m confident that I can be at the top for sure. I just need to play better and step it up in the playoffs, just like I did in winter.

You recently re-signed with Karmine Corp through the end of 2027. With your strong performances, do you see yourself staying long-term and becoming the franchise mid laner and new face of the org, like Saken (Lucas Fayard) was in the past?

Vladi: This is also a little early to say. Obviously, I signed for three years, so—there is a high chance that this happens if I keep playing better.

Are you happy to have re-signed with Karmine Corp, and was it an easy decision for you?

Vladi: I mean, it was on my contract automatically. If we won the LEC Winter Season, I would have gotten extended no matter what basically. I’m happy because Karmine Corp is a really nice organization, and I think we also have good players by now.

Next week you’ll be facing SK and Heretics, which look like easier matchups on paper. Are you expecting a clean 2-0, or do you think there’s still serious preparation to be done?

Vladi: We’ve already played against the league’s strongest teams in my opinion. Obviously we shouldn’t underestimate them, but I think if we play well, we will win against them. Winning or losing against them doesn’t really matter, we need to play well and fix our mistakes for playoffs. Beating Fnatic and G2 is our main goal; they are the teams to beat. Next week, we need to focus on how we win, rather than just focusing on getting a win on the board.

At the end of the group stage, you’ll face G2 on stage during the LEC Roadtrip in Évry, Paris, at the KC Arena. Are you looking forward to that match?

Vladi: Yeah. Playing on stage is very exciting every single time. The crowd there will be way, way bigger than the LEC’s. We’ll also be playing against G2, who are, as I said, a top three contender. The matchup will be very hype, and we’ll have the fans by our side. It will be very fun.

Do you have any final message for the fans?

Vladi: Thanks for the support as usual. It makes us very happy. Sorry for the loss today—I think some of you might be upset, but I think losing is the best part of the competition because it allows us to learn much more things than when we win. It’s also just the regular season, so do keep supporting us. We will make sure to repeat the story of the Winter Split."