donk: “Even though hally isn’t with us, he’s keeping in touch from the hospital.”
Gleb Brekhov
Team Spirit rifler Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and G2 Esports coach Eetu “sAw” Saha spoke in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 ahead of their quarterfinal match.
donk talked about how he deals with hate from fans:
I try not to pay attention to it, otherwise I might feel the pressure. I also try to ignore the hate directed at me and look at everything from a positive perspective.
In addition, Team Spirit’s rifler shared how hally’s absence at the Major has affected the team:
He and our second coach, S0tf1k, are supporting us from home. Even though hally isn’t with us, he’s keeping in touch from the hospital. ...> I think this has brought us all closer together, since we know this is one of the challenges we’ll have to overcome during the playoffs and in any match. We know we need to stay calm during the game.
Danil also shared his expectations for the match against G2 Esports:
Most likely, they’ve prepared a few maps and will try to surprise us—that’s their style.
For his part, sAw assessed the current tournament:
So far, this Major has been tough for us. Making it to the playoffs was a major milestone. It was very important for us and boosted our confidence. The match against Natus Vincere was also a tough one. <...> For us, this means gaining experience and learning to stay mentally strong, especially when matches are close. And I hope we can keep up the momentum today against Team Spirit.
Right now, G2 Esports and Team Spirit are playing a quarterfinal match at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The losing team will be eliminated from the tournament, while the winner will advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face either Team Vitality or Team Falcons.
Photo — PGL.
Gleb Brekhov
