YEKINDAR: “If we can really put on a historic performance—that’s what matters most.”
FURIA rifler Marek “YEKINDAR” Galinskis spoke in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 about the team’s mindset heading into the decisive stage of the tournament and shared his impressions of the dramatic playoff matches.
On Being the Favorites
At the BLAST Austin Major 2025, everyone was saying the same thing—that we had to make it to the finals or something like that. But the fact is, every team that made it to the playoffs deserved to be there. Many teams proved that. Everyone also thought that Team Spirit would just blow G2 Esports out of the water and cruise on to the next round, but in the end, the match turned out to be very tense. Our game against 9z Team is another example of how, here in the playoffs, you can’t underestimate anyone at all.
On the Spirit vs. G2 quarterfinal
For me personally, the result never matters. If we can really put on a historic performance—that’s what’s most important. You know, we were watching the match yesterday, and our neighbor from the next room came in. She was like, “Can you keep it down?” And we were screaming and going wild over there.
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Earlier, FURIA defeated Aurora Gaming 2-0 and secured a spot in the grand final of the IEM Cologne Major 2026. In the championship decider, Marek “YEKINDAR” Galinskis’s team will face the winner of the Team Spirit vs. Team Falcons match.
