luchov: “I really didn’t expect to make the playoffs at my first Major of my career.”
9z Team rifler Luciano “luchov” Herrera, in an interview with OFFSTAGE at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, commented on his team’s performance at the tournament, spoke about the pressure, his emotional state, his prospects of making the top 20 players of the year, and the differences between South American and European rosters.
On 9z Team’s performance
I really didn’t expect to make it to the playoffs at my first Major of my career. I just wanted to play, and advancing to this stage is wonderful—it even feels special.
On the pressure on the team
I don’t think we ever felt any pressure from our organization, since we only formed the team half a year ago, and for that reason, no one in management tried to put any pressure on us.
On emotions
I prefer not to show too much emotion during a match because it’s easier to keep my cool that way. When I get worked up, I start playing much worse, so I like to stay calm.
On making the top 20 players of the year
To be honest, I haven’t even thought about that yet. Why? I don’t even know myself. Of course, I’d love that kind of recognition, but there are so many amazing esports players right now that achieving something like that would be incredibly difficult.
On the difference in skill level when playing against European teams
I think the issue is that it’s very difficult for us to train with European teams on a regular basis because of the distance. Besides that, of course, we have to factor in experience, the pressure at Tier 1 events, and how teams from other regions perceive us.
In the first part of the interview, Rifler 9z Team’s Luciano “luchov” Herrera shared his emotions after advancing to the playoffs of the IEM Cologne Major 2026, talked about the pressure in decisive matches, and explained the importance of communication within the team.
