SGE Fizzy on the Tier 1 and Tier 2 gap: “I don’t think the level is that different”

David "Fizzy" Figueiredo spoke with THESPIKE after their VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2 loss against GIANTX to discuss what went wrong in the series, representing Portugal, the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2, and experiencing the stage for the first time.

The first time on the VCT EMEA stage

THESPIKE: This is the first time you step on this stage. How do you feel and what's going on in your head?

Fizzy: "It is very cool to be here. It's an inexplicable feeling to be playing on this stage."

THESPIKE: You started slowly on the first map but managed to recover on the second and third. What do you think went wrong for the team, especially when you had significant advantages but couldn’t close out the maps?

Fizzy: "I don’t think there’s too much to say. They were simply better. For the most part, though, it was our first time playing on stage, so we were not only getting used to the stage itself but also adapting to their gameplay. Overall, I think we were playing better, but there were several rounds where we had the advantage and still lost. I’m almost sure that if we had closed out those rounds, the result of the game would have been completely different."

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2

GIANTX

2

X

1

Eintracht Frankfurt

Upper Bracket Round of 16, Best of 3 - August 6, 2026 - 3:00PM

13

Lotus

5

9

Ascent

13

13

Summit

9

GIANTX

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Jesse

1.21

227

47/39/27

+8

1.21

75.4%

145.7

28%

70%

7

3

ara

1.13

241

55/42/4

+13

1.31

82.3%

154.3

28%

50%

8

8

neT

0.99

191

40/46/24

-6

0.87

72.9%

133.2

27%

57%

4

3

Flickless

0.94

192

41/43/23

-2

0.95

68.4%

121.0

21%

24%

4

13

westside

0.78

151

37/46/7

-9

0.80

68.0%

105.5

41%

54%

7

6

Eintracht Frankfurt

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

MONSTEERR

1.17

249

55/44/12

+11

1.25

69.2%

163.7

35%

45%

5

6

Jamelinho213

1.06

236

52/49/7

+3

1.06

61.3%

144.0

30%

43%

12

16

Fizzy

0.89

172

40/45/16

-5

0.89

68.5%

114.6

28%

71%

5

2

musashi

0.88

176

37/40/18

-3

0.93

72.4%

119.0

21%

80%

8

2

azury

0.79

157

32/42/22

-10

0.76

69.7%

105.3

28%

33%

2

4

THESPIKE: You’ve made a big jump from Tier 2 to facing Tier 1 teams and playing on stage. What advice did your coach give you to handle the pressure and stay confident on the server?

Fizzy: "I think it was more of a team effort when it came to the pep talk and preparing for the VCT teams. Honestly, I don’t think the level is that different. I felt like we had the game completely under control, and as I said, we lost because of the advantages we gave away. When I was on that stage, I didn’t feel like I was playing against a team like Vitality or Fnatic. Most of these players were in Tier 2 recently, so I didn’t feel much pressure, especially against GX."

THESPIKE: What do you think separates a Tier 1 team like GX from your Tier 2 team? Do you feel there’s still a significant gap between the two levels?

I think GX are literally just one small step above us. It’s a very small gap. If we’re talking about teams like Fnatic, Vitality, or Karmine Corp, though, it’s a completely different story. But when it comes to GX, there isn’t a huge difference between us.

A good meta for Eintracht Frankfurt

THESPIKE: With the current meta favoring strong duelists like Neon and Phoenix, how have you worked with this duo of Jamelinho213 and Ondřej "MONSTEERR" Petrů alongside the rest of the team? And what’s it like having such a young player on the roster?

Fizzy: "Jamalinho has been really impressive, I’m not even going to lie. In our last few practice sessions, he’s been dropping around 30 kills on almost every map. MONSTEERR has also been playing really well. We’ve started experimenting more with a double-duelist setup.

Before, it was Luca "azury" Sammer on Yoru, but now we feel like MONSTEERR is better suited to a flex role or as the second duelist. I think it’s been a really good dynamic so far, especially because those were the maps where we wanted to play double duelist."

THESPIKE: We’re used to seeing Jamalinho play such a strong Jett, but Yoru is a very different role. How does he feel on Yoru, and how has he adapted to the change?

Fizzy: "We only decided on the composition yesterday or two days ago, so we didn’t have much time to practice it before coming here. I’d say he’s more comfortable on Neon and Jett because he can have a bigger impact and carry more.

On Yoru, it can be harder to have that same impact if you’re not buying an operator early on. We were experimenting with a new composition, so maybe he just wasn’t fully comfortable with it yet."

Confidence and team synergy

THESPIKE: Between the first and second maps, you seemed much more confident after getting used to the stage. Where did that confidence come from?

Fizzy: "Since the second LCQ, we’ve always seemed to lose the first map. I don’t know why, but it’s happened against so many teams. We always lose the first map, but we have this Portuguese saying that I used to tell them: 'A primeira é para os pardais,' which translates to 'The first is for sparrows.' I translated it into English, and now it’s basically become a meme within the team."

THESPIKE: Regardless of that first map, your team has had an incredible run, including a 10-game win streak. How would you describe the journey you’ve taken together to reach the VCT stage?

Fizzy: "I think it’s been a fantastic journey, and I still believe we have more to give. It was really disappointing to leave here without a win, and I hope that doesn’t happen again. Playing in the German league was a bit different. We were all getting tired of facing the same teams and playstyles, so playing against international teams gave us a real boost. It also brought back that hunger to compete and win."

I think that was something we were missing in the German league. Sometimes, it felt like teams weren’t as hungry for the win. Here, we found that hunger again.

THESPIKE: How would you describe your teammates in a few words?

Fizzy: "Jamelinho is still a kid, but he has a lot of room for improvement. Azury is the perfect teammate because he gives his all to win a game. MONSTEERR is all about experience, and everyone saw that on stage. Musashi is a great leader."

Proud of being Portuguese

THESPIKE: I noticed you were using the Loud Classic in this series. What was behind that choice, and was it related to having so many Portuguese players on the team?

Fizzy: "Of course it does. When we were training for the ENC - Esports Nations Cup 2026, I bought the Classic, even before David "DaviH" Cruz joined LOUD. The Classic will always be there to support our friends from Portugal. It’s a tribute to them."

THESPIKE: You mentioned the Esports Nations Cup, where you came very close to taking Portugal further. What was it like representing Portugal?

Fizzy: "It’s always fantastic. It reminded me of playing at Ascension in 2023 with SAW. That was one of the best feelings ever. This one hurt a lot because we genuinely had a great chance to qualify. Like what happened in Haven, we lost on a man advantage, and there were a lot of clutches that slipped away from us. It hurt a little, and it was definitely sad, but life goes on."

Eintracht Frankfurt still have a chance to continue their VCT EMEA Stage 2 run, although their next opponent has yet to be determined. Their next match is scheduled for August 12.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

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