TheChosenOne on qualifying for The International 2026: “We just wanted to perform better than the rest.”

In an interview following the qualifiers for The International 2026, L1GA TEAM coach Alexey “TheChosenOne” Karanevich spoke about his feelings and shared the challenges of being a coach.
On his feelings about the qualifiers
We’re very happy. For me, this is my first The International as a coach, and for some of the players, it’s their first TI overall. Our captain, ssnovv1, has only been on the professional scene for a year, and now he’s heading to TI.
On how long he’s been coaching the team
I’ve been coaching them since the start of the season, but we had a completely different roster—we completely replaced almost all the players. RESPECT is the only one left from the old lineup. We have four new players, and over two months of hard work, we’ve made great progress. The start of the qualifiers was tough, but we always believed we could make it through. We played in the qualifiers against Virtus.pro, MOUZ, and Natus Vincere, so we knew it was possible for us. We just wanted to advance more convincingly than the rest.
On the stress of being a coach
To be honest, it’s not stressful because this is my first time working as a head coach on a team. For the two years prior, I was an analyst and assistant coach—this is my first season. When I joined, we set our sights on the Esports World Cup 2026 and The International 2026. This season, I only got nervous when we started winning on the third map. It was a very close match, and I thought there was no way we could lose it. I’m not nervous because I’m the most experienced player here, and everyone trusts me and my ideas. There’s a good atmosphere on the team; we’re all on the same page. We’re just a good team, I’d say.
Earlier, L1GA TEAM defeated Virtus.pro 2-1 in the lower bracket final of the closed qualifier for The International 2026 in Europe. In addition to L1GA, Nigma Galaxy, Team Spirit, and PARIVISION qualified from the region.
Photo: L1GA TEAM.


