Issue 05

ISSUE005OCT2018 

Chu Boi 

FIFA 19 

GAME ON!

LETTER 

FROM THE 

EDITOR 

2 Esports World Football

ISSUE005OCT2018 

Chu Boi 

FIFA 19 

GAME ON! 

Publisher 

Justin Lawson 

justinlawson@blackknightmedialtd.com 

Tel: +44 (0)203 750 6028 

Twitter: @esportsWorldFC 

With FIFA 19 droping last week, we are excited about the season 

ahead. The Gfinity Elite Series is just about ready to kick off and 

we talk to one of it’s participants Method’s xVennyy about his 

FIFA carrer so far, and what it’s like to play in the Gfinity Arena. 

Our cover is graced by one of the most influential people in the 

industry, Chu Boi, sharing his views on the FIFA scene, Icons and 

who will perform this year. We also talk to another GameChanger, 

FootballQueeny about the new season ahead and she gives us 

her view on what EA have done to make FIFA 19 great. 

It certainly is gearing up to be the best and the most competitive 

FIFA season yet, and with the news of the ePremier League this 

season is going to be massive. 

Editor 

Chris Lafferty 

chrislafferty@blackknightmedialtd.com 

Tel: +44 (0)203 750 6024 

Twitter: @esportsWorldFC1 

Designer 

Steven Lafferty 

design@blackknightmedialtd.com 

Tel: +44 (0)7843 811 240 

Twitter: @NotAFIFApro 

www.esportsworldfootball.com 

In-House FIFA Expert 

Ben Wodecki 

Twitter@benwodecki 


3

14 

Ovidiu Patrascu 

Teaching casual gamers how to become great 

players with tips and tricks

COVER STORY 

8 

Chu Boi 

Chukwuma Morah, better known as Chu Boi talks about 

his route into esports 

NEWS 

6 

News round-up 

Get all the latest news from the world of FIFA 

INTERVIEWS 

12 FootballQueeny 

EA GameChanger, FootballQueeny discusses the role, FIFA 19 and the 

recent Capture event in Berlin 

16 

Harry Cornick 

Harry Cornick, rated 60, has been playing FIFA since 2004, but how does he 

feel about his own ratings? 

20 xVennyy 

With his first competitive FIFA season under his belt this year xVennyy 

wants to take his game further. 

24 Klutch 

We catch up with exceL Esports FIFA star Klutch and discuss all things 

good and bad with the latest version of the game 

26 Zelonius 

Nathan ‘Zelonius’ Horton, professional FIFA player for Team FUTWIZ talks 

FIFA 19, coaching and the route to the top 

28 

FIFA 19 Review 

Ben Wodecki reviews FIFA 19 

32 VPG 

We talk to WGN eSports and RUFC eSports 

36 VFL 

VFL West ham. We talk to Lewis Wright about the upcoming season

Team Özil M10 gets a Brazilian 

Following hot on the heels of 19 year old Fatih “ Üstun” Üstun 

who was the first official member of Team Özil M10, they have 

just announced the addition of the Brazilian Pedro “PResende97” 

Resende Soares. 

Commenting on his addition, Özil stated. “I’m very excited about 

the creation of the M10 Team. I’ve always wanted to show my 

passion for video games and that year I felt it was the right time 

to do that. Signing with PResende97 is really a big step for our 

organization and I’m sure it will surprise us all this year, I want to 

give the kids in love the same opportunity I had years ago when I 

started my football career and a team believed in me. I know they 

will give it their all.” 

Mesut Özil has previously declared his intention to sign a player from each 

continent for his roster and this is another bold statement by the newly 

formed team now with South America and Europe ticked off the list. 

Diego Vidal of the M10 Team stated that the team “wants to focus on 

players who have had their talents proven in the last season of FIFA 

to give them the chance to grow both personally and professionally, 

helping them develop and providing those guys everything that is 

within our reach. We are very excited about this project and having 

Pedro and Fatih, we are sure they will do very well this year. “ 

Resende also added. “Big announcement! Thanks @MesutOzil1088 

for the trust, it will be a great achievement partnership!“ 

ePL is happening 

The heavily anticipated ePremier League, an esport equivalent of the 

worlds biggest footballing league has been announced. 

All 20 Premier League clubs will have at least two official esports 

players representing them in the league. Anyone over 16 in the UK 

is eligible to represent one of the clubs and can participate in online 

qualifications from December. 

The League is also worth pro points, if the player has had 27 

wins in the Weekend League at least once in FIFA 19 and are 

FUT Champions verified they can acquire points that can help 

them towards the Global Series Play Offs at the end of the year 

where the top 60 players on each console battle it out for a 

place in the Grand Finals. 

YOU MUST register on http://FUTChampions.com by 31 October, 

2018 and be FUT Champions verified.(27 wins in weekend league) to 

obtain pro points for your efforts. 

3 December 2018 - Registration opens 

UK players will be able to register online for the ePL starting from 

now, before the online qualifiers the following month 

January 2019 - Online qualification 

Players will compete against each other on their platforms this will 

find the top 16 club playoff finalists for PlayStation 4 and top 16 for 

Xbox One meaning 32 players will advance. 

February-March 2019 - Club playoffs 

The top 16 players for PS4 and Xbox One will face each other in a halfday 

tournament to determine the club representative of the consoles. 

28-29 March 2019 - ePL Final 

The final will take place in London over two days and be 

broadcast live on Sky Sports and Premier League social 

media channels. Matches will take place over two legs 

in a group-stage format on both PlayStation and Xbox to 

determine an overall champion. 

Further detail and dates will be announced in due course.

Rising star joins Bundled 

17 year old Scotsman Adam Ryan, who was tipped by eSports 

commentator Richard Buckley to be the next “rising star” has been 

picked up by Team Bundled. He has qualified for the Gfinity elite 

series draft but has opted to sign with Bundled instead. 

Crafty goes global 

British FIFA player Luke Craft, who had been waiting for the right offer 

from a team for a very long time has finally found the team that suits 

him best. He has joined French club LOSC and will be representing 

them for the FIFA 19 season. 

The youngster made his way onto the FIFA scene in early 2018 after 

qualifying for the Gothia eCup LAN event at the first attempt ahead of 

1499 other players. He managed to beat YimmieHD in a best of three, 

2-0 to reach the final stages and then cooly dispatched a Brazilian 

2-0. In the event he came 5th place. 

He also achieved a large amount of Top 100 weekly finishes and 

also a few Top 100 monthly’s in FIFA 18. Bundled are one of the best 

agencies in the FIFA scene and it seems a very good fit for him as 

they have an office in the UK. 

Bundled took to Twitter and said “We are very proud to announce 

that @AdamRyanFIFA has joined team Bundled’s FIFA esports talent 

roster #teambundled #bundledesports” 

Shortly after, Adam also said on Twitter “I am delighted to announce 

that I have signed with Bundled @TeamBundled! I had a lot of great 

offers, but as soon as Bundled became an option my decision was 

made instantly. I’m ready to develop as a player and achieve my 

goals as part of Bundled! #teambundled” 

There is now big pressure on the talent to perform well in the FIFA 19 

season as many people are expecting big things from him but with 

the support of Bundled we are sure that he will do very well in the 

upcoming FIFA season. 

Many were expecting him to join Hashtag United so this was a very 

surprising transfer. 

Crafty had an exceptional year qualifying for both seasons of FUT 

Champions cups the Play-Offs and also the grand finals in London 

where he narrowly failed to get through the groups. 

He took to Twitter and said. “I’ve been waiting to join the right team 

for a while now, but I’m pleased to announce I’ll be playing under @ 

LOSC_eSports. Thank you for the opportunity and I’m looking forward 

to representing the club at events, where I will give everything ! 

Fier d’être un Dogue !”. 

The club also said on their esports account “Dear supporters, let’s 

welcome our new player, especially qualified to the 

last @FIFAeWorldCup! Welcome to our family 

@LOSC_Crafty” 

The club also uploaded a series of videos 

showing his trip to France to sign 

his contract. 

It will be interesting to see how he does in 

the FIFA 19 season as the level he got to 

this year will be very hard to replicate.

Chu Boi 

Chukwuma Morah, better known as Chu Boi talks 

about his route into esports, FIFA 19 and who to 

watch out for in the new season 


Tell us about your journey into esports? 

I took a slightly different, less traditional route than most. Having 

graduated in Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of 

Technology, I pursued a career in that field, however, it soon became 

boring. It was always my dream to work in the video game industry 

particularly within marketing, so I did a little more studying at UCLA 

and then moved to Seattle to work for a marketing agency. 

After my US student visa expired, I decided as I had a dual Canadian / Nigerian 

citizenship, that I would look for a job in Canada although I had never fully lived 

there before. Low and behold I saw a FIFA community manager job post based 

in Vancouver. I applied for the position and a week and a half later I got the job. 

Working there for four years was a dream come true. It was a great 

role and I learnt a lot and made numerous contacts in the industry. 

However, I had always wanted to work for myself and be my own entity. I 

moved into streaming FIFA and after doing this for a year I was approached 

by EA to be part of the broadcast team for the FIFA 17 Championship 

Series. It was an amazing experience and one that I would never forget. 

Soon after, I worked on FIWC 17 and then various events throughout the 

FIFA 18 circuit including the FeWC 18 at the London O2 Arena. 

most time to be a better player stand out above the rest in my opinion. 

There is quite a steep learning curve this year 

What Icons should FUT players be looking out for this 

year and who is your personal favourite? 

There are so many great icons this year. The one everyone is 

talking about is Johann Cryuff. He is fantastic and surprisingly a 

lot of people prefer him to prime R9. He’s got everything you could 

ask for: 5 star skills, 5 star weak foot, good shooting, decent 

height, and he is very fast. You don’t think he would be that fast 

but he just glides across the pitch. His Agility is very high too and 

I think agility is going to be very important in FIFA 19. I am always 

a big fan of CM’s and CDM’s though. 

My personal favourite Icon is prime Ballack. He is a CDM that 

stays in position. In FIFA 13, MOTM Jon Obi Mikel used to be my 

favourite CDM. He never passed the halfway line. He just stuck 

to his position and sat as deep as possible. Ballack is just like 

that wherever you decide to put him. I never liked him in real life since 

I support Manchester United and he played for Chelsea but he’s probably 

going to be the first Icon I put into my team. 

As a major figure in the FIFA industry, what do you 

prefer now commentating, streaming or playing? 

I actually prefer commentating and hosting now. Esports was not 

a big part of FIFA while I was the FIFA community manager at EA 

from FIFA 12 to FIFA 16. But after I left EA, esports really began to 

pick up with the introduction of FUT Champions in FIFA 17. 

When you work on the games you kinda feel like you have seen everything 

it has to offer, but esports was just something new, something refreshing, 

so it was like a natural surprise that got me excited about FIFA again. 

Being at the events and seeing all the pros again are the highlights of my year! 

Having played FIFA 19 at the Capture Event in Berlin 

what are your first impressions of it? 

Another Icon is Cannavaro… great standing tackle. He probably 

has the best tackling capabilities in the game, even above Maldini. 

It’s a massive surprise how good he is. 

What did you think to this years FIFA eWorld Cup? 

The eWorld Cup is that one tournament that everyone looks forward to 

at the end of the competitive year. I thought it was simply amazing! The 

venue, the O2 Arena in London, was great. To be able to use a venue like 

that for an esports tournament shows how big it is becoming. 

I thought that the level of talent at the eWorld Cup was probably the 

highest it has ever been at a tournament. The rigorous qualification 

process made sure that we had the best of the best of the best. It 

was so tight leading up to that final. MSDossary did pull it off and was 

very dominant on the last day but I thought overall it was very tight. 

I think that the first thing that stood out is that skills are making a comeback 

with the Active Touch System. It was not such a factor last year. The 

animations are so smooth, that is one thing which sets it apart from 

FIFA 18. They really stand out and I am also looking forward to the 

Champions League content. 

The esports players have all developed and come so far in terms of 

being interviewed, doing the right things, saying the right things on 

camera. I was very proud of how they were all dealing with the media 

attention. Hopefully they are all enjoying the attention as they will 

play a big part in growing the industry as we move forward. 

Attacking-wise there are so many different factors to consider 

now including timed finishing. 

In terms of the competitive scene, who are you 

expecting to have a good year? 

Currently the shooting needs some work though; sometimes a 

poorly timed finish shot is better than a well-timed finish. Also 

at times FIFA 18 style powershot without the double-tap ends up 

being weak shot. The developers have told us that this a high-priority 

issue that will be fixed soon however. Those who dedicate the 

I am actually looking at the two from Werder Bremen, Michael 

Bittner (MegaBit) and Mohammed Harkous (MoAubameyang). 

I think we are going to see a larger gap between the pros who 

have really invested the time to learn all the intricacies of the 

game as there are so many of them. 


9


I think we will really see the work ethic pay off and the relationship 

between the two players in the team will push them both forward. 

They can both learn from each other. 

The German esport player will probably dominate on FIFA 19. 

Their players just put in the hours. I’m a big fan of how they 

present themselves and the way they interact with their fans and 

the media. They know a lot of young kids look up to them. 

Also I believe Basel’s impressive roster featuring Nicolas, Cody, 

and TheStrxnger will also improve their individual abilities. 

In FIFA 19 what do you think will be overpowered? 

Build up down the wing will be very overpowered and you will see 

more formations like 4-3-3 with wide players make a comeback 

It’s too early to call right now, but maybe you will not see as much 

4-1-2-1-2 Narrow as last year. These narrow formations get too 

clogged up in the middle with the AI defending being so strong. 

I also think adjusting your formation on the fly will be vital. It will 

be pivotal to understand the pros and cons of your formation 

choice. With Game Plans, competitors can now quickly switch 

formations with the D-pad during a game. It will be important to 

analyze your opponent’s adjustments and change accordingly. 

The new L1 running fake shot is very effective with players like 

Mbappé and Neymar with the crazy speed boost it gives them. 

Heel to heel is not too OP this year, so you won’t be seeing too much of that. 

How did you find the new dynamic tactics system and 

do you think it was a good addition to FUT? 

I think the new game plan system is a very important addition as 

it will allow players to have more control of the game. 

Changing tactics on the fly will be good for team management in 

gameplay. Being able to change formation mid-game will keep the 

opposition guessing. It adds another bit of strategy to the game… 

changing how wide the team plays, how many players in the box for 

corners. It’s an extra layer of depth that shows how FIFA 19 needs 

more dedication that ever in order to compete at the top level. 

Do you think kick-off will still be a factor in FIFA19? 

From what I have seen so far I do not think it is as strong as FIFA 18 

but it still is a factor. Hopefully EA are looking for ways to minimize it. 

to look at adding new features and changes to the game to 

take the scene forward. 

Many in the community call for changes to make competitive 

qualifying a more even playing field. In Ultimate Team pro players 

have to spend quite a lot of money to ensure they start off the 

year with a strong team that gives them a better chance of 

qualifying for tournaments. That might be something that needs 

adjusting in the future. The next F2Tekkz may not be able to 

compete because he can’t afford to. 

Maybe during qualification months a Fantasy Football style 

budget is given to all pros within a separate part of FUT 

Champions? Ex: TOTY Ronaldo costs 10 points and IF De Bruyne 

costs 8. They then have to build a team to suit their strengths 

with that budget, but at least everyone has access to the same 

pool of players 

I also believe a genuine Spectator mode that helps create and 

broadcast online tournaments for regions to improve their skills 

will definitely help FIFA esports grow. 

There may also need to be separate gameplay style modes in FUT. 

One mode catered to the larger non-competitive majority of FIFA 

players, and another, more manual submode for highly-competitive 

players. I think the gameplay demands of both factions often 

cannibalize each other. 

In addition, more anti-cheating security measures need be present 

to ensure only the legitimate pro players are present at events. 

It’s a two-way street however. The pro players must make sure 

they carry themselves in a professional manner, both offline and 

online, as they are the representatives to the outside world. I’m 

not sure they realize how many high-level company representatives 

pay attention to them on social media. 

As a community we also need to attend our local events, support 

our pro players, support the streams, and give as much as we can 

to the scene. 

Finally, my own personal request is to bring a teamplay aspect 

to FIFA esports. 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4… team vs team formats. In 

my personal opinion these numbers get you more invested 

than 1v1. 11vs11 might be too much to manage. I want to 

be a fan of a team and how see how their chemistry is with 

each other. I want to see Nicolas, Strxnger, Cody, and Lubo of 

FC Basel take on Hashtag United. Or take on Marcuzo, Deto, 

NYCFC Chris, and Marcus of the City Football Group. In the 

end, football is a team sport. 

What do you think the future holds for the FIFA scene? 

would say the future is definitely bright, but it’s going to 

come down to how far EA is willing to take it. They may have 

I think the future is definitely bright. Our game is based on the 

beautiful game and the beautiful game is watched by billions so 

there is no reason why the FIFA esports could not be watched by 

billions some day. EWF 


11

GameChanger 

EA GameChanger, FootballQueeny discusses the role, FIFA 19 and the recent 

Capture event in Berlin 

How did you get into e-sports and become 

an EA GameChanger? 

I have always liked football and gaming but becoming an EA 

GameChanger was mostly due to my YouTube and Twitter, I think. 

Through building relationships with fellow YouTubers and FIFA 

esport players, I got far more involved with the competitive side of 

the game. 

However, I am definitely nowhere near as good as the pros 

at playing FIFA, unfortunately! 

What does it take to be an EA Game Changer? 

The program gives us the opportunity to voice our opinions 

and represent the community. Therefore, both a real interest 

in the game and a passion for change are vital to make the 

most of this chance. 

Tell us about the Capture Event in Berlin 

I was very thankful for EA’s invitation. It was a very well run, threeday 

long event that gave FIFA content creators the opportunity to 

record some early footage for their channels. 

On top of that, it was also great to meet and catch up with 

all of the other Game Changers, some of them you can see 

in the picture. 

You also got the opportunity to go to Gamescom 

what was the highlight of this event? 

The most exciting thing for me was to meet up with all 

of the YouTubers whose content I have been watching 

for years. 

Do you think EA did plenty of research 

before launching FIFA 19? 

I think they always do. This time around, their research 

also included obtaining feedback from the community 

FootballQueeny pictured 4th from left hand side

which makes this year’s FIFA even better. I am sure, 

however, that there are even greater and bigger things to 

come in the future. 

What improvements will we experience in 

FIFA 19? 

I think that the online gameplay has been improved a lot. The game 

seems far more fluid and less pace-based, which I prefer. Although, 

for example, kick-off glitches and things still pop up every now 

and then, EA has definitely worked on reducing their occurrence. 

Furthermore, I enjoy the new Divisions system: I think it makes 

playing FUT more exciting and rewarding. 

You played Pro Clubs at the Capture Event, 

why does the Pro Club community feel EA is 

ignoring them? 

I did and I really enjoyed it. The community feels neglected 

because Pro Clubs has not experienced any significant changes 

in the past few years, similarly to Career Mode. Personally, I 

believe that it has got the potential to become one of the 

most popular game modes if EA starts investing more time 

and money into its development. 

Competitive Pro Clubs events, for example, could prove to be 

very successful. 

Who out there produces your favourite 

online content? 

I really enjoy watching, inter alia, Spencer FC’s, AJ3’s, and 

GamerBrother’s content on YouTube. 

Who would win out of you and 

ItsFangs? 

Good question - I probably would have to back myself here 

but the best way to answer this would be to actually arrange 

a game! EWF

Teaching causal gamers 

the tricks to become 

great players 

w

Ovidiu Patrascu 

How long have you been playing FIFA? 

First FIFA I ever played was FIFA 98, but at a pro level FIFA 2005 

Can you tell us about your first YouTube video? 

player, wing or tiki taka. Both formations offer a strong 

defence and a lot of options in attack. 

Is the drag back still the most overpowered 

move in FIFA 19 and what makes it so good? 

If I remember correctly, my first ever YouTube video 

was a tutorial about the Body Feint, which was 

the most overpowered skill move in the game. The 

quality of the video was of course, not at the level 

of today’s videos, but I believe it was a revolutionary 

tutorial for the community as it showed also to the 

casual gamer, a trick that can improve his game and 

with practice maybe get him at a pro level. 

What’s the biggest competition you’ve been 

involved in so far? 

I can’t really pick one, back in my PC days, World 

Cyber Games, on console Fifa Interactive World Cup & 

Electrons Sports World Cup. 

What are your top five fundamentals for 

any FIFA 19 beginner? 

Precision movement from the left analog 

Passing 

Right Analog selection of the 2nd player in defence 

Finishing 

I`m not sure it’s as good as it was in FIFA 18 but for 

sure it is a top 3 skill move in the game. 

Do the pros have preferred formations, 

tactics and skill moves? 

Of course, there are 4-5 TOP formations in FIFA, each 

pro choses a formation depending on his playstyle and 

sometimes depending on what the opponent uses. 

As a pro player can we expect to see you 

at any competitive tournaments for FIFA 19 

this coming year? 

I`ve been doing only YouTube for a couple of years 

now, 10 years in the pro scene was more than 

enough for me, now putting the work in creating 

content daily, sometimes 2-3 videos per day, doesn’t 

leave you the time to practice as much as you want 

in order to play in pro tournaments. I could still be at 

a very good level but that’s not enough for me, when 

I was active as a pro player I always targeted the no1 

position at each event, but now it’s not possible to 

train that much anymore. 

Since your time as a pro what changes 

have you seen on the pro circuit? 

Drag back Move 

What formation would you advise a 

beginner to use and why? 

4-2-3-1 or 4-1-2-1-2 narrow, depending on his style of 

I think the fact that there are some big youtubers that 

are former pro’s or current pro’s, which do tutorials 

has raised a lot the level in the community. There are 

no more secret moves or skills or attacking tricks, 

all of them are on YouTube now, easy to access to 

everyone, so more and more players make the jump 

from good to great. EWF

Not my rating: 

Harry Cornick 

In the first of a new series, Esports World 

Football speaks to 23-year-old Luton 

Town forward Harry Cornick about his 

love of Costa and the disappointment of 

his pace rating

JUSTIN LAWSON 

Harry Cornick, rated 60, has been playing 

FIFA since 2004. Accumulating a solid 14 

years of experience and knowledge of the 

game, it’s fair to say he has become a bit of 

an expert—but how does he feel about his 

own ratings? 

After school, Cornick would play FIFA against his older brother and 

his friends, this evolved to playing online, and now playing Pro Clubs 

against his fellow pro footballers at Luton Town. 

Cornick recently got involved with the Ultimate Teams and his 

account is progressing nicely, but the preferred format is the draft. 

The Ultimate Team Draft is a unique game mode within FIFA 

Ultimate Team in which you build a team from a selection of players 

presented to you as options for each position. 

To enter a Draft you must pay 15,000 FIFA Coins or 300 FIFA Points. 

It can work out as more cost effective for getting high performing 

cards than grinding your way through Weekend Leagues or 

purchasing packs in-game. 

Away from the FUT Draft, Harry often plays using the FIFA Team 

Randomiser, which is a mode where the game selects a number of 

teams for the player. 

Cornick says: “If I could choose any team, I would always in the 

past have played as Chelsea, especially when Diego Costa was 

in the middle and you can get Willian or Hazard down the wings. 

If you’ve got two quick wingers it’s a win-win for me as Costa is 

almost unplayable.” 

He adds: “Now, with Costa having moved, I would have to choose 

Atletico Madrid”. 

FIFA 19 sees Costa, the beast of a player, rated at 85 overall with a 

physicality of 87 and shot rating of 83, so we can see why anyone 

would like to have him in their FUT. 

You would have thought all this love for Costa would make him 

Harry’s favourite player in FIFA, but that special place—the first on his 

team sheet—would always belong to N’Golo Kante. 

Kante has had a memorable Premiership journey. After joining 

Leicester City on a three year contract in 2015, he went on to win 

back to back titles with Leicester and Chelsea, and a year later 

he was called up to the 23-man French squad for the 2018 FIFA 

World Cup. 

Cornick says that Kante is his “favourite player in FIFA”. 

He remarks: “You have to have him as CM. If you have him as CM he 

is everywhere, he is my must have, my rock.” 


17

Cornick questions the rating system, adding: “I saw a video of Daniel 

Sturridge and his pace was like 78 and he is rapid, but then you have 

Harry Maguire and he is 71 pace and you think that can’t be right”. 

With his physical rating increasing a few points, Cornick says EA 

must have seen a few centre backs nailing him every time he goes up 

for a header. He has hit the gym, but overall they have probably just 

taken pity on him after reducing his speed and just bumped this up! 

I will be able to play myself 

up top alongside Costa. 

A dream combination 

At Yeovil in 2015-16 he scored eight times in 34 starts and he 

followed up with a few goals at Luton he is quite reflective on his 

shooting rating being perhaps a little high. 

Cornick says: “To be honest I do miss my fair few chances so maybe 

52 is generous. Eventually this will go up as I start putting them away 

and scoring more goals. It will happen.” 

Kante has risen from 35th place in FIFA 18 to 16th in FIFA 19 with 

unbelievable stats. He is 89 rated as a CDM and his pace is 80, with 

87 defence and 84 physicality. 

Looking at Cornick’s own stats and positioning on FIFA, he is still 

classed as a RM, but this is not how he sees himself. 

Explaining his positional preference, he comments: “I used to be RM, 

but over the past 18 months I have slowly converted to a striker, I 

have been moved further up field and operated as a striker, with every 

appearance this season up top.” 

At Luton Town there is quite an active FIFA scene and a large number 

of players get involved. Challenging for the crown but not quite 

reaching the pinnacle as this belongs to another. 

The number one FIFA player at Luton Town is 61 rated James Justin. 

Harry says: “he has the FIFA crown at Luton Town, if you 1v1 him you 

will not win. He justly deserves that title.” 

There is also some interest in the growing Pro Clubs scene with a 

number of the team playing in teams with friends. They mainly play 

each other and are not part of any official league set up such as the 

VPG or VFL but who knows what the future holds. EWF 

Despite FIFA 19 showing him as a RM, he is determined to score 

more goals on the pitch to make sure that, by FIFA 20, he is no longer 

classed as a midfielder. 

He adds: “I will be able to play myself up top alongside Costa. A 

dream combination.” 

Ratings are always contentious and having his pace moved 

down to 77 on FIFA 18 from a high of 82 on FIFA 17 Cornick was 

disgusted. It’s like saying just because he is one year older he is 

naturally going to get slower. Still, young Cornick was completely 

baffled, commenting: “I definitely feel my pace should be in the 

high 80’s. I have not slowed down at all and even when it was at 

82 that was a disgrace. It needs to go up. My teammate James 

Justin is up there with me for pace but I win every speed test at 

Luton Town.” 

His pace again in FIFA 19, now it has been released, shows he is 

held at 77 for pace once again but there have been improvements 

in other areas, showing that EA think he is improving as a player, 

most notably his passing has gone up to 54 from a rating of 47 on 

FIFA 18. 

To be honest I do miss 

my fair few chances so 

maybe 52 is generous 


VPGW 

Seeking Managers 

Do you have what it takes to lead a team to glory in 

the illustrious VPG Weekend League? 

Are you committed to sticking with your 

team and do you strive for success? 

Do you want to test yourselves against professional 

teams such as the likes of 

WGN, Oxford, Scunthorpe 

to prove that you are the best? 

Contact 

@boarvpg or @DanTV24_ 

for more information and get set up ready for Season 11! 

#WheretheChampionsPlayr

xVennyy 

With his first competitive FIFA season under his belt 

this year xVennyy wants to take his game further. 

How did you get into it FIFA? 

I’ve played FIFA since I was very young. I remember being around a 

friend’s house and he had a World Cup version and from there I just 

always bought it. 

At what stage did you realise you was 

better than most of your friends and 

actually quite good at FIFA? 

Can you tell us about the FIFA 18 season 

and how it went for you? 

ESWC in Paris was the first tournament I qualified for where I finishe 

top 8 and that was my first ever experience of competing in a LAN 

event which was a bit nerve-wracking because it was all a bit new to 

me, but luckily it went well. I also qualified for the FUT Champions 

Cup in Manchester. I didn’t do too well in that and I finished 2 and 4 

in the Swiss format. 

I never really thought too much of it when I was beating my mates, 

but over recent years I started to get a lot better at the game and 

I noticed a complete difference. I was beating my mates by 4, or 5 

goals and that’s when I thought maybe there was something I could 

do about this. 

Once you got to that level how did 

you progress? 

I got noticed in the Gfinity Challenges Series. I only started playing 

competitively last year and that was my first taste of it and basically 

that’s how I got my name out there 

. 

How does the Gfinity draft work? 

The last event I qualified for was the eClub World Cup, which 

I qualified for with method and that was the biggest thing I’ve 

attended, it was broadcasted live on Sky Sports. 

How did the eClub World Cup go for you? 

We started really well. We won our first two games by 8 plus goals. 

No one really expected our team to do that well and we found 

ourselves near the top of the table and then I don’t know what 

happened, but we must have hit a wall. We literally couldn’t win, but 

it was a good experience and with regards to exposure it was the 

biggest tournament that I have participated in so far. 

What do you make of FIFA 19? 

So you have to finish top 30 to be eligible for the draft and then it’s 

up to the teams to pick who they want to sign. 

So how many players in team Methods? 

There are only two currently, but when I joined they did a partnership 

with an organisation called FUTWIZ, in order to be ready to play in 

the Gfinity Elite Series. 

Does every team taking part in Gfinity have 

to pick from the draft? 

I believe each team has to draft at least 2 players, one on PlayStation 

and one on Xbox, but the players are quite in control, so if they don’t 

want to play for a team, for whatever reason, they can just say no 

and the team will then replace them with whoever they want. 

A lot of it has been improved, but there are a lot of things that 

are still missing if I’m being honest. There are a lot of bugs that’s 

going to frustrate the casual player, but I think it’s a step in the right 

direction once they patch the stuff that is irritating. I mean some 

people are complaining about the pace right now. I think once you 

get used to stuff like pace it’s actually not too bad, you know you 

can’t just run straight past people now. 

Is there more of a skill gap? 

Yes and no. When you get a really good player going up against a 

really bad player you’re going to notice it, especially with the timed 

finishing, but when it comes to pro vs. pro, every pro is going to know 

how to do the timed finishing and the skill gap is not going to be 

actually that clear when it comes to the top level but for the casual 

players if I’m doing the timed finishing and the player I’m playing

against isn’t it’s going to give me the edge over him. 

Out of all the FIFA’s you’ve played which one 

do you prefer? 

FIFA 15. It was quick and fun and I was at the age where I could just 

sit there for hours. 

How long does it take for you to get use to 

the latest edition of FIFA? 

When I first got my hands on FIFA 19 I was struggling. I was a bit 

worried at first to be honest. It took me about 100 Games to be 

comfortable with the new mechanics, with the dribbling, defending 

and shooting. I feel like it took me that long to latch onto what I 

really had to do and now I’m a lot more comfortable. Luckily there 

are no tournaments until a couple of months. 

How far did yourself and method get in the 

Gfinity Elite Series last year? 

I took more of a coaching role because method already had two 

players. We got to the semi-finals where Unilad knocked us out. 

What do you make of your chances at the 

Gfinity Elite Series this year? 

My plan is to actually win it. I’m going for the silverware this 

year for sure. 

What’s it like playing in the Gfinity Arena? 

It’s cool. The actual arena was a cinema room and they actually 

converted it. 

You’re quite high up on the stage, so you can always look out and 

you see the crowd and at first it was quite daunting with all the 

cameras in your face and if you’re not used to it, it can be a bit 

like whoa. 

What are your main goals for FIFA 19 and 

next year? 

My aim is obviously too compete at the highest level, but I also want 

to try and build my brand. I think it’s really important for esports 

players to build their brand as much as possible. Obviously things 

like fan base comes with its rewards regarding things like new 

sponsors that may approach you. 

It’s really cool I see some of the other players and you see kids 

coming up asking for photos to me it’s so unreal we just play FIFA 

and they come up asking for photos, so it would be really cold to get 

to that point. 

Have you got your own YouTube 

or twitch channel? 

I have both, Twitch is more streaming and Method have a really 

good partnership with Twitch; we do a lot of streaming. 

I do YouTube on the side and my plan is to do more pack 

openings, maybe rewards because everyone loves to watch the 

rewards because some people can’t achieve them, so they like to 

see what you can actually get. It might be an entertaining thing 

for people to watch pro vs. pro. I’m also going to do some other 

things like squad buildings. 

Who are your go to FUT players and what 

do you make of the Icons in this year’s FIFA? 

My go to player has got to be Neymar on FIFA 19. He’s just so quick. 

I really like the new additions for the Icons. It was getting a bit stale 

to be honest at a competitive level because you were just seeing the 

same Icons and the same teams over and over. 

It would be cool if they had some kind of Rule where you can 

only use a certain number of icons just to make it look bit 

different. I don’t know it might not be better competitively, as a 

player, but it would be better for the spectator because they get 

to see more than just a standard team over and over and over 

and over. 

Who do you enjoy playing against? 

I like playing against the best, Gorilla, Kurt, Tekkz, obviously 

when I play against them I get to learn a lot more then when 

I’m playing an average standard game so those sort of games 

are awesome to play. 

Who’s the best FIFA player at the moment? 

I can’t really say for FIFA 19 because it’s obviously a new 

game, but going from FIFA 18 I’d have to say last year’s world 

champion, MSDossary. EWF

KLUTCH 

10 

24 Esports World Football wwwesportsworldfootball.com

With FIFA 19 dropping only 

a few weeks ago we catch 

up with exceL Esports FIFA 

star Klutch and discuss all 

things good and bad with the 

latest version of the game 

You are on the exceL Esports roster. How 

did that come about? 

This came about by competing in the Gfinity Challenger Series. Over 

six weeks, I competed in cups against the best in the game to qualify 

for the Elite Series and make it into the pro scene. There was a draft 

to sign players and exceL chose me! 

On FIFA 18, who were your go-to players 

and what formation did you play? 

On FIFA 18 my go-to players were Cristiano Ronaldo TOTY/TOTS, 

any version of Patrick Vieira and prime Rio Ferdinand. I had three 

formations which I changed to based on in game situations which 

were 4-4-2, 4-1-2-1-2(2) and 4-2-3-1, but 4-2-3-1 was my favourite! 

So now FIFA 19 has dropped, what’s your 

view so far? 

Share your views on Division Rivals on 

FIFA 19? 

I love the introduction to FUT Rivals! I think it allows everyone to play 

players at there own skill and gives you a place to improve loads! I do 

think that some of the skill rating distribution needs to be changed a 

bit, but all in all its an excellent addition! 

Whats your view on WL dropping from 40 

down to 30 games and will this mean it is 

easier to get T100? 

Now FIFA 19 is out, I think it’s a game with a lot of potential but 

with a lot of broken things in the game. There are a lot of good new 

mechanics but some of the stuff they have changed has made it the 

worst FIFA in my opinion. BUT it has potential to be one of the best! 

Ok, so we know EA have failed to please 

you, but is there anything you think they 

got right? 

I think there’s quite a lot they got right. I like some of the new skill 

moves like the LB fake shot and the La Croqueta. I also like the new 

flair shots and the active touch system, FUT Rivals and the wider 

variety in Icons this year. 

With FUT is there a big skill gap between 

players or is it down to how much you can 

spend on packs? 

I do not think its down to what you spend on packs. Obviously there 

is an advantage to people who spend money but just because you 

buy expensive players it doesn’t mean that you put the controller 

down and thats it. 

I feel that WL dropping down to 30 weekend league games makes 

it easier for many. If pros have less games to distribute out over 

the same amount of time it means they can play in shorter sets of 

games which allows them to perform better in those games. 

To make you happy what changes would 

you make? 

There are a lot of changes needed to be made if FIFA 19 is to be a 

good game in my opinion. They need to nerf AI defending, they need 

to make other forms of finishing viable instead of just finesse shots. 

I think the first touches of players are nowhere near as good as they 

should be considering I’m using some of the best footballers of all 

time. Corners are practically penalties due to near post corners being 

so overpowered. Overhead kicks are more accurate and powerful and 

easier to score than normal shots which is unrealistic at best. Volleys 

in general are incredibly OP and goalies get nowhere near them. Low 

driven shots are nowhere near as good as what they should be in my 

opinion. Timed finishing is great, but its incredibly easy to learn and 

considering they go in most of the time I think it also lowers the skill 

gap. There are also a lot of in game bugs and glitches that need to 

be fixed. 

There is a skill gap but nowhere as big as I would like there to be! 

In my opinion, all of these things lower the skill gap. EWF 


Esports World Football 

25

The coach 

One of the leading analysts in the game, Thomas 

Temperli aka Coach Janthana shares his thoughts 

on coaching, tournaments and FIFA 19

Nathan ‘Zelonius’ Horton, professional FIFA 

player for Team FUTWIZ talks FIFA 19, 

coaching and the route to the top 

Do you like what you have seen of 

FIFA 19 so far? 

Yes, I think there is a bigger skill gap than last FIFA and 

the game feels a lot more realistic in my opinion. However, 

there are issues that need fixing still such as the shooting 

glitches. If these issues get fixed then I think we are in for a 

great year gameplay wise. 

Who would be your Icon of choice? 

Prime Gullit would be the perfect allround option. For now I 

am using the 86 Vieira who is very solid and the glue 

in midfield. 

Which Icon is best value in terms of 

price and ratings? 

It’s How hard did to say you whilst get the into prices esports? are fluctuating so much, 

but I would go with somebody like Campbell who would be 

meta It all started all year in 2004, around. when However, the competitive at this scene point was of the still year on the I 

wouldn’t computer. be Like investing many other in e-athletes, an icon CB. I looked for the challenge on 

the internet and from then on, the scene cast a spell over me. I’ve 

Other been here for than a good the 14 years obvious, now and I’m what looking forward is the to many 

main more. difference we will see with 40 

becoming 30 on the WL? 

We understand you are quite good at FIFA, 

You do you may see still more play? pro’s attempting to play more consoles. 

It’s also good for the casual player base and will potentially 

bring As a coach, a lot I’m more not of quite them as active back as into the the players game. themselves. Top 100 Every may 

be time harder they release because a new one version, disconnect I play as or much loss as is the a lot pros more do. As 

punishing soon as I know now. the new mechanisms in the game and know the new 

features and tactics, I can reduce the active play to the minimum and 

How focus mainly did on you the coaching get into tasks. coaching? 

I Your used to current be a teacher role so is that as somewhat head coach naturally & analyst 

helped 

with it, eSportsReputation, but a lot of viewers on my which stream were gamers asking do me to 

do you it. I currently put it off for look a while, after? but went with it and it’s helped 

a lot of people and become very popular. 

As head coach of eSportsReputation I keep an eye on the 

What development advice of all our would contract players. you Of give course, casuals 

the focus is more 

to on the improve? 

young players, who have not quite made the leap to the top, 

but have the talent to make it. In recent months, however, I have 

Watch players better than them, grind Rivals a lot as this 

is far better for fair matchmaking. Check out YouTube 

tutorials from people like BorasLegend. Don’t always blame 

the game, look for the mistakes they are making. 

What are the goals for Team FUTWIZ 

this season? 

Keep improving, go further in events and grow closer as a 

team. We won an event with Dubzje last year and had one 

player at the FeWC Grand Finals in Honey Badger. 

I think we have a great roster this season and are constantly 

looking to improve and do better year by year. 

What differentiates you from the others 

who stream? 

I think I have been streaming consistently pretty much every 

day which not many pros have been doing. I look to educate 

a worked lot on more the intensively stream and with talk Kai about “Deto” what Wollin. I I’ve am known doing him right for 

and over 10 wrong. years now, as we used to play together in a team. 

What I also offer are lots the of main different roles perks the for my agency subscribers plays? and 

feel I have my own community which not as many pros offer 

right We as now. an agency, especially our general manager - Sport, Joshua 

Begehr, take care of the marketing and team search for our contract 

I players. have seen We also quite help a players few pro’s with starting private matters, to stream financial more matters 

regularly and are always so far available on this to FIFA the parents such as of the F2Tekkz players. and We’re Gorilla actually 

which doing the is same nice to work see. as a player agency in real football. 

What do one you thing look would for when you signing change players most 

about to the agency? the FIFA scene? 

Having Of course, a a lot potential more player events for would our agency be great. must bring Last the season necessary there 

was talent too and few. understanding I think for of the game. scene These to grow two things more are events very difficult 

is or even important. impossible to teach. For comparison, game intelligence cannot 

be practiced in real football. Either you have it or you don’t. 

Who is your ‘Emerging Talent’ tip for 

FIFA The whole 19? in-game skills do not have to be perfect, you can 

improve them with targeted coaching. However, the personality 

I and think environment it’s too early of a to player tell is right additionally now as very it’s a important very different to us. 

game Supporting that family people members, are trying for to example, adjust to. are I a won’t great advantage name 

anybody because the in particular, player can engage but there in time are without quite a a few guilty players conscience 

who for esports. were doing very well towards the end of last FIFA that 

if they keep grinding I could see going pro and having a 

big year. EWF 


27

FIFA 19 REVIEW 

Neuer and Approved 

Steven Lafferty and Ben Wodecki at the FIFA eWorld Cup, O2 London 


BEN WODECKI 

Overall thoughts 

FIFA 19 is the first FIFA in a long time to feel different. It doesn’t 

reinvent the wheel, but it certainly changes the way that it works 

to make for a fun and flair-filled rollercoaster. The Champions 

League is FIFA’s marquee signing and frankly, it was needed. PES 

had that by the scruff of its neck for so long and gaining control 

of Europe’s most exciting competition is a welcome breath of 

fresh air. What makes it oh so special, is the looks of this game. 

Gorgeously crafted to give off an authentic experience that 

you can’t help but gaze at lovingly. There are some interesting 

additions this year that we’ll discuss more in detail, namely the 

new touch and shooting systems. FIFA 19 does what the fans 

want - giving an authentic and fun experience that has copious 

amounts of content to offer than previous entries. What more 

could you ask for? 

What is the Esports World Football FUT 

team like? 

Get your judging caps on as its time to point fingers. We’ve 

started off with a Bundesliga gold team in a 4-1-2-1-2. We like 

this formation as it’s flexible in both attack and defence. Having 

that holding midfielder can help when on the back foot, but it 

helps even more with how we play. With a focus on possession 

and cutting through opponents when they’re fed up of endless 

passing, abusing the spaces that they’ve created charging our 

players down. The likes of pass maestro Thiago, Javi Martinez 

and Corentin Tollisso help set the pace to what we want it to be, 

by creating dynamic and fluid passing, which creates enough 

spaces for our fullbacks to bomb forward. This FIFA is not all 

about pace. For years, that was essentially all that mattered. But 

that hasn’t stopped us with our choices for forwards. Werner 

and Plea are a double act more effective than you could possibly 

imagine. Werner is faster than time itself, and Plea may only be 80 

rated, but his strength and shooting capabilities are entertaining 

at times. It’s a great early game pairing that we’re looking to use 

and have done to great success, scoring for fun at times. 

Now, this formation doesn’t cater for the wider players. But when 

it comes to late game tactics, we like to keep things fresh and 

quick. Jadon Sancho, Marcel Sabitzer and Leon Bailey can turn 

the tide of games as the clock ticks on, saving us from egg on 

our faces more times than we’d like to admit. 

In goal for EWF is Hradecky of Bayer Leverkusen. The 6 foot 2 Fin 

got a move to Bayer and got an upgrade to an 84. What he lacks 

in handling and speed, he more than makes up for in diving and 

reflexes, and whilst ‘keepers have received somewhat of a nerfing 

in this title, he seems good value for money in terms of stats and 

longevity when compared to the other Bundesliga ‘keepers. 

So what’s for our team? We want to improve the backline, as 

Toprak isn’t the player he was on FIFA 18, and while Tah is still 

a joy to play with, given Bayer’s poor league form, we fear he 

won’t get a TOTW card anytime soon. Kagawa seems the weak 

link in our forward three, given his pace and a poor shot. James 

Rodriguez, we’re coming for you… 

Tactics Analysed 

In this FIFA edition, what’s best to do? Volleys. Headers. Setpieces. 

All you need is a big, powerful striker, who can hit the 

ball well off his head and feet and you’ll be laughing. Giroud, 

Arnatoovic, and Batshuayi make great editions to start your team 

off this time around. Be prepared to score a lot of volleys and 

headers - so play to that strength. Mario Mandzukic is another 

great early card for this tactic. This time out, you’ll want flair, 

skill, and just a little luck to make it. We’d also highly recommend 

sorting out all your formations for when you go from ‘balanced’ 

to ‘attack’ as you might find your team reverting to a flat 4-4-2 

without realizing. This new feature enables your team to adapt to 

a more attacking or defensive formation at a moments notice. 

Make sure you’ve got a plenty with decent shot power and long 

shots. In this game, it is so much easier to score a lovely struck 

long shot. The new showing system allows balls to fizz past the 

‘keeper from 25-40 yards when struck correctly. Having a player 

who can hit them well will help you score these more. 

Remember chemistry is everything and player overalls aren’t. 

Some early game players are so powerful that they are literal 

game changers. Axel Witsel, now of Dortmund, is looking tone 

one of those. His strength, height, and overall abilities make him 

a frightening possibility to play against in the middle of the park. 

The same goes for Lemina of Southampton, well priced for such 

a low rated gold, but he can hurt you - we should know. 

Remember, never quiet the game, losing your DNF modifier 

really isn’t worth it, especially in the early game. FIFA is 

frustrating at times, but you’ve just got to remember that 

another game will come. 

House rules rules 

One of the most welcome additions to the game is the house 

rules mode for kick off. It allows users to play with restricted 

rules, or none at all. A plethora of modes like Elimination allows 

for a more intense offline experience. A game mode has been 

a staple of the series as far as we’ve been playing, it allows for 

more variety and the fact that these modes are available offline, 

it means that you can invite all your friends over for an enjoyable 

evening of house rules. EWF 


29

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VPG WGN ESPORTS 

Fresh from winning the VPG Weekend League double, we speak 

with members of the Welsh Gaming Network eSports team about 

the upcoming season and FIFA 19 


WGN eSports seems to have dominated 

last season, tell us about it? 

We wouldn’t go as far as to say dominated, but we were the most 

consistent. There were a lot of strong teams which we faced that 

had the potential to cause us upset, but we fought through and 

came out better. 

We did well to stay at a consistent level and compete for all the 

titles available to us - 49 games in a season is long and hard going, 

but that’s where you see who has what it takes to come out on top. 

Looking back on it, there’s a few things we’d have done 

differently, but we look forward to seeing what Season 11 has 

to offer us. 

Tell us about the standard in the Weekend 

League, does this differ to the midweek 

leagues in ability? 

What is the best team you have faced? 

The best team we’ve faced has to be Royals. They have been 

one of the best disciplined teams in attack and defence 

we have seen. There are not many teams who are so well 

rounded from front to back, but these are a team people 

seriously need to look out for in the future. 

What developments would you like to see 

to VPG? 

We would like to see VPG keep doing what it’s doing, and to 

keep expanding. 

They’re doing such a good job with the promotion of Pro Clubs 

and esports in general. We’re excited for what the new site has 

in store and to see what the future holds for VPG. 

Where do you aim to improve as a team? 

The standard of both midweek and weekend leagues are high, but 

yes, they do differ to an extent. VPGW is so well run, that it makes 

it easier for teams to focus on the task at hand. The quality of the 

league increases season by season, and each is much stronger than 

the previous. 

For the past two seasons, we have been pushed until the very last 

day to win the VPGW Premiership, yet Season 10 it was pushed to 

the very last game. It felt amazing when the results came through 

and we could see that we had won the VPGW Premiership for the 

second season running. 

Is it hard coordinating everyone to be available 

for matches or are players pretty committed? 

It was extremely difficult at times, especially with the World 

Cup running along side the season. With it being a weekend 

league, a lot of players have outside commitments, but we 

ensured that we had a squad big enough to cope with these 

situations, which everyone played such a vital part in the 

League and Cup campaign. 

What formation do you prefer and why? 

We’ve always used 4-3-3 holding. We feel as though it’s the most 

dynamic formation to play. It offers so much space in attack, 

and allows you to defend narrowly. However, it’s one of the few 

formations that needs a specific type of player. If played wrong, the 

game can turn on it’s head very quickly. 

We aim to improve in every position. There are always going to be 

things that need to be improved on, and we’re a team that aims to 

be the best team from front to back. Occasionally it’s about taking a 

bit of a step back and asking your players where improvements are 

needed. We’re all for the development of players and are happy to 

take time out and help with that. 

With football clubs like Rotherham and Scunthorpe entering VPG do 

you think they will have unfair advantage? 

We don’t believe teams will have an unfair advantage at all. 

We all aim to be the best and with the right team, guidance 

and drive, you can achieve that. You just need to have a little 

bit of patience and take your chance when it arrives. Everyone 

started at the bottom. 

Has EA let Pro Clubs down with what you 

have seen from FIFA 19? 

We don’t believe so. Of course, there are a few additions we’d have 

liked i.e Pro Clubs Training mode instead of Divisions, but Pro Clubs 

is on it’s 3 year cycle. The game play itself on FIFA 19 is one of the 

best we’ve played in a long time. 

Can you see LAN events happening the Pro 

Clubs scene? 

In the future we’d love to see LAN events happening, but we’re also 

aware at how costly it can be funding a full squad. 



33

VPG ROTHERHAM 

We talk to one of the newest Pro Clubs 

teams, the official Rotherham United 

Football Club’s esports team 

Tell us about the Virtual Pro Gaming (VPG) 

How did the formation of the esports team 

come about? 

After a short break from FIFA I was persuaded to 

try FIFA 18 on the PS4 by the man who would come 

to be joint project manager on this venture, Dave 

Raybould. Dave already had a reasonable successful 

FIFA YouTube channel in place and after seeing QPR 

become part of the VPG roughly a year ago we just 

knew there was a gap in the market for more collaborations 

of that kind. 

So after months of chatting, we decided to approach 

two local clubs (chosen from a shortlist of ten) and 

after connecting with Jamie Noble through a mutual 

acquaintance, we were invited to Rotherham United 

to discuss our ideas. 

Once we sat down with Jamie it was clear to us both that 

Rotherham United was the right professional club for us. 

We outlined our vision for a fan engagement attraction 

(which is now known as the FIFA HUB) and additionally 

our ideas for the club’s growth into digital media using 

esports as a vessel. 

Jamie loved the whole concept and gave us his full support 

and from that Rotherham United Esports was born. 

How close will the links with the real footballing 

side will be? 

Our YouTube channel will of course follow our 

adventure into esports, but it will also be much 

more, it will tie in with the club’s other social media 

platforms and we will be looking to capitalise on 

having a partnership with a professional football 

club by brining new original content such as player 

and staff challenges, interviews and much more. 

Tell us about the recent gaming event you 

held at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, 

what were the aims and how did it go? 

Day two of our launch included the launch of the FIFA 

HUB which offered Rotherham United fans the chance 

to come, chat and have a game of FIFA 19 on the 


“It took lots of hard work and planning 

I am very proud of what we have achieved.” 

Playstation 4 or Xbox One, we had visits from mascot 

Miller Bear and Scottish centre half Clark Robertson, 

which the fans loved. 

Our aim for the FIFA HUB is simple, bring in fans and 

build bridges with the community in the local area, we 

feel if we can attract fans (that would otherwise be at 

home in their bedrooms playing games) and not only 

offer them a game of FIFA but help them make new 

friends and help give them confidence too. 

The Rotherham Community Sports Trust is also 

accessible via the FIFA HUB and they can also offer 

opportunities for the very same kids that are gaming 

each day on FIFA. 

We will also be looking at other special events 

through the season and already have some ideas for 

late November time. 

Who is managing the team? 

Our first team head coach is called Luke Ace. Whilst still 

in his early twenties is a very mature and passionate 

player, Luke has racked up many wins in all modes of the 

game, we felt his natural FIFA ability and communication 

skills were a perfect fit to lead our first team. 

How have you selected players for the team? 

As we have been planning this venture for several 

months we already have what we consider the spine 

of the team, however we are still looking to trial 

players for key positions. 

Will you be looking to have a big squad? 

We are also looking for a development squad 

too, so I feel we will be looking at a total of 

between twenty three and twenty six players for 

both squads in total. 

Not all will play competitive football but we feel 

that having a development squad will keep anyone 

playing in our first team on their toes and always 

looking over their shoulders. 

Tell us about some of the squad? 

We have players from all over the UK and beyond, from 

Surrey to Barking and from Ireland to Germany. 

Every one of our current players are here by merit and 

not just here to make up numbers. 

What league have you been entered in? 

We want to feel like any success achieved has been 

earned so we felt starting in the highest league (even 

though prestigious) would not be the best thing for us, 

we are on a journey after all. 

The league we will be joining is the VPG L2 South. 

Do you feel the backing of the football club will 

give you an unfair advantage over other teams? 

Unfair would indicate rules have been broken, 

11v11 means exactly that, the only advantage 

I can see is the marketing side of things and 

additionally greater exposure. 

It took lots of hard work and planning to get here, I am 

very proud of what we have achieved. 

I just hope others follow our lead as we are proof of 

what can be done with hard work. 

Can you get to the Premier League? 

A tough question, I believe the club will one day win trophies, 

but we need to keep focussed and take it one step at a time. 

Our players are passionate and have bags of character, 

we want to compete at the very top but understand 

success is not given away on a platter, it is earned 

through hard work and passion. 

With all that said, I think we will make it to the 

premier League. EWF 



35

VFL WEST HAM 

Come on you Irons 

Lewis Wright talks about his new role taking 

the reigns of VFL West Ham PS4 and the 

aims for the new season 

You have played and managed in both 

VPG and VFL leagues, how do you 

compare the two? 

I really enjoy using both of the sites and I find they both have their 

own advantages and disadvantages. 

On VPG I really like how the contract section works, however, 

with VFL I find that the site overall is much easier to work my way 

around. If I was asked to pick which is the better site out of the 

two, I would struggle to be honest. 

Who will you be managing this season? 

This season on FIFA 19 I will be managing VFL West Ham on the 

PS4 side. 

What league are you in and who do you 

see as your main competition? 

We’re playing in the Championship and we see the league as 

a huge competition, all the teams are going to be competitive, 

however, a good cup run and getting close to a cup trophy is also 

big for us. We will aim to go as far as we can in all competitions 

we enter. 

What formation do you like your teams 

to play? 

Usually I tend to stick with 4-2-3-1 because I like the two holding 

midfielders and also the three CAMS, but I don’t mind using 

4-1-2-1-2 narrow especially when you’ve got some good passing 

players in the side. I also like to occasionally use 3-5-2 but that 

formation only works in my eyes with the right players. 

How did you do last season? 

Last season on VFL I was in charge over at Augsburg which was 

my first season fully in charge and we just missed out on the 

play-offs by a few points. On VPG, I was playing CB for The Mighty 

Imps where I managed to get myself in TOTS for my first time 

which I was pretty chuffed with!

Where would you like to see Pro Clubs develop? 

I would love to see pro clubs hit the heights that FUT has. It would 

be insane to play in a 11v11 LAN tournament. I’ve seen some of 

the emotions that Pro Clubs brings to players and to have that all 

in one room would be amazing. Even if these 11v11 games were 

slowly dragged in at future FUT events, for some of the big guys 

out there to play, that would benefit Pro Clubs massively. All just 

stuff we can only dream of at the moment. 

seem to have made some aspects of tackling over powered when 

you time it right. I thought defending at some points on FIFA 18 was 

comfortable but FIFA 19 has made me realise that it wasn’t all that good. 

I’ve really only played Pro Clubs at the moment but I’m definitely 

going to be playing a lot of career mode and UT as the game 

seems really good. 

What would you like to see EA do for 

Pro Clubs? 

Slowly we are seeing football clubs setting up Pro Clubs teams, 

would you like to play for one of them one day? 

Playing for a professional esports team would be insane. Always 

something I’ve wanted to do whilst playing Pro Clubs so it is a 

dream of mine. Something for me could be in the pipeline, but I 

can’t comment on that too much as of yet! 

Do you like what you have seen from FIFA 19? 

I’m really loving the defending on Pro Clubs. It feels so dominant. They 

After playing FIFA 19 for a couple of days it would be nice 

to see them sort out a couple of things in Pro Clubs such as 

the CAM glitch where it drags the CAM back into a defensive 

position and also sort out some of the lock-ons which I’ve 

noticed is still an issue. 

I’m also hearing that we have that friendly glitch again which we 

suffered with for a while last season on FIFA 18. 

I just think EA should sort out the basics in the gameplay before 

they think about touching the menus layouts and designs. EWF

38 Esports World Football 

www.berggrinhosamgmt.com 

emil@berggrinhosamgmt.com



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