Despite coming in with little expectations from non-Superliga fans, Alvaro and his team, MAD Lions KOI, made a solid entrance to the LEC in 2024. Exceeding all expectations, the team found itself in 2nd place during the winter playoffs, before unfortunately falling short in the spring playoffs. In this exclusive interview, Eros dives into the Spanish support's past and his route to becoming one of the most promising prospects of the EMEA region.

| Today, we are joined by Álvaro, who I already consider a sensation of the European League of Legends competitive scene. Good morning, Álvaro. Thank you for giving us a little bit of your time. You're basically a superstar now and very busy, I hope you have a great time with us today.

Álvaro: "Thank you very much for inviting me. It's no bother at all, and on top of that, I also like that people can see what we do from the outside. That's why I believe this interview is good for people to know what we do. So, thank you."

| After what happened against G2, has Melzhet decided to give you a stricter scrimming schedule or are you still training as usual?

Alvaro: "Basically, after losing against G2, we had the next day off. We thought it was important to rest because, at that moment, one more day of training was not going to change anything. The most important thing was to be in a good mental state. So we rested that day. Then we played against GIANTX. We didn't think it was going to be that complicated, but we won against them, and from then on, we had our usual schedule. Well, now we have some additional elements included: a little more demanding individual work and somewhat more focus on a mental level."

| I am curious, how did you start playing League of Legends?

Álvaro: "Let me give you a bit of context. I started playing video games when I was about three years old. My brother used to play with the Game Boy, the DS, and all sorts of video games, like Pokemon. Naturally, I became interested in Pokemon from the start, and I enjoyed playing it. While I don't remember playing at three years old since I wasn't aware of it, I do have pictures with my brother playing. As time passed, I eventually got my own computer. I began playing the typical games we enjoyed as kids, such as Minecraft, CSGO, or whatever games were popular at the time. I also used to play with the Wii."

"Then, during season 4, my brother was introduced to League Of Legends by a friend, and I started watching him play. I thought to myself, "I'm going to try it out and see if it's cool." I started playing from time to time, but I had a bad computer, so I couldn't play much. However, I started to like it, and I decided to keep playing. It was something quite casual for me. I didn't play much, and when I could play better, it was when I could go to a cybercafé, where the computer was better suited for gaming. That's where I played more seriously."

| At the beginning of your career, did you start playing support with your brother or did you play a different role?

Álvaro: "It's a bit of a nice story because my brother, as such, was also trained by Melzhet in a team where he was a jungler. I was primarily a jungle main like my brother, but it's true that I also played other roles. However, how I really started playing the support role was as a duo with my brother. He used to play as an AD Carry in season 4, and we were in silver [laughs]. I began playing support with him when we started to get into the competitive scene, and I thought, since I had been playing so much support lately, I wasn't going to switch back."

| Have you thought about playing another role in the distant future, going back to the jungle or something like that, or do you think support is the role that best suits you personally?

Álvaro: "Yes and no, because I haven't really thought about it, but it's true that I consider myself to be someone who is very good mechanically. Sometimes, I feel that in the support role, it's not necessary to excel to that extent. Sure, there are players like Keria, who are exceptionally skilled mechanically and can make a difference. However, on the other hand, I don't feel the same way due to my personality. I care a lot about others, and in a sense, I'm a support both on and off the rift. That's why I also enjoy the role because I believe I can help others."

"So, no, I haven't seriously considered it. But if I were to reach a point in my career where, let's say, I'm still here for another seven years, still competing, and have the opportunity to switch to the jungle because I prefer it over the support role, then yes, perhaps. It would depend on my level at that moment and various other factors. But for now, I haven't had any thoughts like that."

| A topic I wanted to discuss with you, which I believe is something that few people know, is that you refused a promotion to UCAM in the LVP SL 1st Div while you still were in the “Circuito Tormenta”. What happened there?

Álvaro: "I was just 18 years old at the time, during the summer split, and I felt it was too soon. It was after losing a best-of-five where we had a reverse sweep against a team that didn't even practice."

"So, I had this conversation about the offer to join UCAM. I needed a moment to think it over. When it comes to making decisions, I believe I am an intelligent person and I approach them calmly. Ultimately, I thought it was too soon for me."

"I hadn't fully matured as a person yet, and I was a bit apprehensive. So, at that time, I decided not to pursue the promotion to Superliga. While the opportunity was appealing and I was grateful for it, I preferred to stay and train, taking things slower. I also had confidence in myself that I would succeed."

"However, I was aware that many players in Spain miss opportunities, and for various reasons, they have a bad split, leading to setbacks. Despite my confidence, I did have a moment of doubt, considering if taking it slow would be safer and still lead to success."

| After an incredible split in the second league with Guasones, you get a call from G2 Arctic, Melzhet's team. A little birdie told me that before joining the team you and Fressko had a chat in SoloQ, and Fress knew you as "the guy who played Brand support". Is it true?

Álvaro: "I wanted to work with them. Fress used to be a complicated person in SoloQ, I'm not going to tell you that he was like some LEC player that is coming out in some tweets lately... [laughs]."

"I feel like Fress was very... I'm not going to say toxic, but he was straightforward and direct. For me, at the time, I enjoyed playing Brand, I felt like playing my own stuff, things that I could carry with. But I still played the game well."

"What happened was that Fress, a guy who had been playing in the Superliga for a long time, noticed the mistakes I was making. He was upset that sometimes I was trolling him in SoloQ, and he flamed me. I felt that I couldn't respond because he was right; I was playing badly. But when I joined the team, I realized that he was a completely different person. In my opinion, Fress is one of the calmest people I know. I can't believe it happened [laughs]."

| A year and a half passed, and as I mentioned in my interview with Supa, you were the most desired player of the last offseason, one of which had the most interest from LEC teams. Were you always sure of where you'd end up? Or did you consider other offers?

Álvaro: "I listened to all of the offers. I had meetings with even the team that thought there was only a 5% chance that I would join. I listened to everything because I believe it's something you have to do as a player."

"However, I was clear that if I had a choice, I wanted to stay with the core of Fresco, Supa, and Melzhet. That was crystal clear to me. At the beginning of the offseason, I didn't know where I was going to end up, but what I did know was that I wanted to end up in the LEC."

"My number one priority was to be in the LEC with everyone together. My number two priority was to be in the LEC with most of us together. And my number three priority was if a few of us couldn't be in the LEC, then at least I would end up on a team by myself."

"But I felt it was a good time to join the LEC, and I didn't feel like I should stay in the Superliga, regardless of whether my teammates stayed. The number one priority was to promote with them because that's what I wanted, and if I couldn't, then I would consider the rest of the offers."

| During the offseason did you think you were going to join the LEC on your own? If so, I would like to know which team you would have gone to.

Álvaro: "Well, the thing is, I didn't know beforehand which players would be on which team at that time. My number one priority was to continue with the block; for me, this project was always option number one. If it hadn't been for the Movistar Riders block and Ibai, looking at the projects themselves, I would have gone to Heretics or else to Fnatic."

| What has impacted you more, the EMEA Masters finals in front of 10,000 French people or the finals of your split against G2 Esports in the LEC?

Álvaro: "The one that hurt me the most was the EMEA finals because I felt I was a handicap for the team. I played very badly compared to the enemy. I feel that we were much better at the time, and that day we were just not better. So I would say I was angrier that time, because, on top of that, there were a lot of people in the audience who were booing us. We felt like telling everybody to shut up. All those people who say that Caliste has to be in the LEC, that Supa sucks, those people who criticize, and some of them are currently 2-7, well 4-14, in the LEC... [laughs]."

"I was really looking forward to Karmine Corp because the other day they started whistling at us when we went out for some fresh air, and we weren't even playing against them. I was very angry with them and very eager to win. That's why when we beat them in the regular season, it felt so good. And in the other final, I feel like I played well against G2. I feel like I could have played better, but I think I did well. So I didn't get so angry. I am also aware, to be honest, that they can and they will be beaten."

| Now that we are talking about G2, something I want to ask you Alvaro is that I have noticed that the teams have a very clear idea that if the scrims week sucks, the game is going to be lost and they are very vocal about it. This split MDK has had a couple of weeks full of ups and downs, even though Melzhet commented that you were doing things much better out of the game. What do you think was the reason for this?

Álvaro: "In terms of the previous split, we were learning a lot and working well, but the results didn't come in scrims. At the end of the day, it didn't matter if you were 1-5 or 2-4 because the officials mattered. For example, imagine playing against G2 or Fnatic, the best teams in the league. If they show everything they play against you, you collect a lot of valuable information from the enemy that they shouldn’t have to give. Then the results come out, like Romain’s case. For instance, if G2 finishes 6-0 against Rogue, but they do it by playing the same thing repeatedly, winning by trying new things has a different value."

"For example, getting to the final of the split shows this. We scored a 0-6 against G2 on the last day of scrims before playing against Fnatic and BDS, but it was a 0-6 with decent feelings. We knew that this 0-6 didn't matter because we were heading to officials prepared. This split, however, we're performing much better in scrims than the enemy. Yet, when we get to officials, we struggle to step up due to a mental block."

"When we lose to G2, it affects us because we want to do better, but we just need to do things simply and well because we know how to execute them. Many factors contribute, such as a lack of confidence from losing a game or someone being low on energy, affecting the team. There are many issues we address, some patched up, some healed, but healing one wound may open up another. So, we're not in the right state of mind."

| There is a pattern that I noticed a lot when talking with you, Supa, and Fress. In my eyes, it seems that you all give great importance to your mentality when it comes to the competitions you're in. Fress mentioned that he changed his routines a lot since his G2 Arctic days. Alvaro, could you tell me more about your mentality both inside and outside the game?

Álvaro: "Well, I'd say that I've improved outside the game in terms of habits. Taking better care of myself, and focusing on sleep hygiene, and mental health - all crucial for maintaining energy and performance. That's been the most significant change. However, I'd say I'm still the same person in the game because winning is what matters to me. If I lose a game, I get frustrated, and it motivates me to win the next one. In that sense, I'm still the same, and I think that's a positive trait."

"Maybe what's improved about me is my mental approach and discipline within the game. I've learned not to take as many risks as I did in the past. Now, I consider the consequences before making a move. If I do this, I'll lose that, so I won't do it."

| Moving on to the team's gameplay, the truth is that according to statistics, you are the second team with the biggest advantages at the 15-minute mark, only second to Fnatic. Why do you think you are struggling to close out games sometimes?

Álvaro: "The issue lies more in a mental block."

"We're learning how to teamfight very well, but when the decisive moment arrives, if anything goes wrong, we struggle to close out the game, and that's where it gets complicated. As for the gold statistic, I believe it's mainly due to our team's nature. Let me give you an example:

"In the bot lane, both Supa and I tend to have the most gold in our respective roles. This is because we both like to play aggressively, capitalizing on any windows of opportunity we see. In scrims, opponents often take risks and go for kills, but in official games, they're less likely to do so. Since we're already accustomed to this aggressive mindset, we often win laning phases we shouldn't because we excel in challenging situations."

"However, the mental block persists. We enjoy fighting and prefer a more intense game. It's what we practice every day, and it's why we play our own style. Either the enemy team adapts to our pace, or they struggle. Additionally, we're aware that we don't have to fight for the sake of fighting. If the enemy gives us an objective for free, we'll take it, but if they challenge us, they'll have a fight on their hands [laughs]."

| How have you viewed this split after losing 0-2 to Vitality? I can imagine it must have been a big disappointment, right?

Álvaro: "Well, it's difficult to pinpoint right now, but I'd say we felt overwhelmed by expectations. The difference from the first split is that back then, we enjoyed the game without any constraints. After the final against G2, coming from a strong split, mentally, we were already at MSI. However, we couldn't shake off the mental block we faced this split in official matches. Despite improving our scrims and off-game aspects, we couldn't translate it into crucial matches."

"The series against Vitality was tough to swallow. The first game slipped from our grasp, and in the second game, we got caught in the mid-lane, leading to a complete disconnect. Frankly, I believe execution played a significant role, and we performed poorly that day. There are no excuses. We'll take a bit of rest and then return to working as hard as possible to regain our peak performance for the summer."

| How have you handled the difference in visibility that comes from playing in the LEC compared to the Superliga, Álvaro? With more fans comes hype and critics; how have you adapted to being in this new spotlight?

Álvaro: "Well, during my ride home in the cab or whatever, I often check social media. Personally, I find it quite entertaining. I appreciate the support from fans, but there are also many haters out there. So, sometimes I take it lightly, depending on my mood. It can be amusing or sometimes it annoys me. For instance, in the international scene, there's a strong dislike towards us, but well, let them be."

"On Twitter, I come across absurd comments that aren't worth my time or energy to respond to because, well, it's just nonsense. The level of hate towards us doesn't make any sense. People used to say we were just a group of Spaniards or friends, and that it would be chilly in Berlin for us. Well, it seems the cold hit them when they got kicked out of their team... [laughs]."

| If you could give one piece of advice to the Alvaro of three years ago, what would it be?

Álvaro: "It's going to sound a bit like a meme, but for me, it's quite important; enjoy everything day by day."

| Lastly, a message to all the fans who watch and support you, Álvaro.

Álvaro: "Well, I am very grateful. To the people who come to see us, thank you very much for coming here to support us. The truth is that it feels so good, as Elyoya said in an interview, just to have the fans. It brings a lot of life to the competition and makes it very enjoyable."

"Thank you so much to you guys for coming, and thank you so much to the fans back home. A hug. All the support that you send us whether it's messages on Instagram or Twitter or whatever, it gets to us. And thank you so much for continuing to support us. And to the haters, as Supa said the other day, suck it up and keep sucking it up."