Fnatic bench Milan as Desmo takes over as head coach for EWC qualifiers

After bombing out of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 1, Fnatic has made its first roster move in an attempt to get back on track. The organization has officially announced that head coach Milan "Milan" de Meij is stepping aside, with former assistant coach Casper "desmo" Rasmussen stepping in as interim head coach for the upcoming EWC - Esports World Cup 2026: EMEA Qualifier.

Disappointing 2026 for Fnatic so far

After three second-place finishes at international events in 2025, Fnatic entered 2026 as one of the heavy favorites in VCT EMEA. Missing the first international event of the year, VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026, wasn’t entirely unfamiliar territory for Fnatic after the same thing happened in 2025. However, crashing out in Stage 1 and missing out on Masters London is a massive disappointment for both the team and its fans.

Missing two international events in a row was enough for the organization to start looking for answers. As a first step, Fnatic decided to bench head coach Milan and posted on X that they are searching for a new head coach to support Desmo moving forward.

End of an era

Milan joined Fnatic during the 2024 offseason as an assistant coach and was promoted to head coach in February 2025. During his time leading the roster, Milan helped the team secure a regional title while also reaching three international grand finals.

After Fnatic announced on X that Milan was stepping down, he shared his own message with the fans:

“I’m grateful for every player, staff member, and fan who was part of this journey. We shared some incredible moments, learned through the difficult ones, and built memories I’ll carry with me for a long time. I still believe deeply in this roster and the people behind it. Thank you for all the support during my time here. Esports moves fast, and sometimes change is part of the process. No regrets, only gratitude for the experience and the people I met through it.“

EWC up ahead

Next up, Fnatic will compete in the EWC qualifiers starting on May 22. While the organization searches for a new leader behind the scenes, Desmo will step in and take charge of the squad for the time being.

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Featured image source: Riot Games.