Miposhka on coaching: “For me, it’s just a new activity in my life”
Team Spirit’s Dota 2 coach, Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov, spoke about his opponents’ playstyle and shared insights into his role as a coach in an interview following their victory over Team Nemesis in the group stage of the 2026 Esports World Cup.
On Collapse playing Axe more often
I think Axe is just in the meta—he’s very popular. We pick him because he’s in the meta, but of course, we always have Mars and Magnus in reserve. I think you’ll see them soon.
On the opponents buying items for speed
I think that was just their strategy. They picked Beastmaster with the Helm of the Dominator and Disruptor, who can just use Glimpse. They were trying to push quickly. I think their idea was something like this: “Okay, guys, it’s going to be really hard to beat Team Spirit in the late game, so let’s play for tempo.” And maybe that’s just the personal style of the players and the team, so they decided to play that way and picked heroes and items to execute their ideas.
On how he started training
For me, it’s just a new activity in my life, because during my break I tried a few things, participated in Streamers Battle, tried to relax and enjoy life, and now the season is already over. There were two big tournaments coming up, and the team manager asked me about my plans and whether I’d be interested in trying my hand at coaching. I said I agreed and that I’d find it interesting. I have a lot of experience and knowledge that I could pass on to young players.
On the challenges of being a coach
Being a coach is much easier because I don’t have to play as much. I stopped competing recently, so I still know how the game works, how to move, and all that. I don’t need to play to understand the meta—I just need to watch replays—so it’s easier and less stressful.
Photo by Adela Sznajder, EWC Foundation.
