Vitality coach Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam has revealed that Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom will start practising with the team this week as part of a rotation system that will be employed moving forward. The 19-year-old is expected to make his debut in the BLAST Premier Final Series — the perfect proving ground for the former Heretics player as the team are already qualified for the BLAST Global Finals.
“The team will make substitutions mid-series depending on the map,” XTQZZZ wrote in a Twitlonger post. “It will allow some players to rest on training days (very few until the end of the year), to rotate, to be able to make decisions and to remain as competitive as possible.”
XTQZZZ says players will rotate to avoid burnout
XTQZZZ gives three reasons for the expansion of Vitality‘s roster, starting with the congested fixture schedule in Counter-Strike. “We have had a much higher number of tournaments, matches and weeks over the years,” he said. “This is essentially related to business, where we’re looking for a profitability that does not currently exist.”
The second reason he gave is the team’s struggle to perform consistently in a packed schedule while facing constant pressure to obtain results. This, according to him, affects “preparation ahead of intense matches”.
The French coach also talked about mental health and burnout, a hot topic as several players have requested medical leaves this year due to the heavy workload. “These problems are essentially created by a loss of balance, a loss of fulfilment, a loss in the professional life and a loss of pleasure,” he explained. “We must pay attention to each one of our players.”
Regarding the addition of Nivera to the roster and the effect that it will have on the group, XTQZZZ insisted that the Belgian player will not be claiming anyone’s spot in the starting lineup. “Vitality’s objective is to continue training young talents while keeping the experience of our legends. Nabil doesn’t come to bench anyone.”
The French coach also shared his thoughts about jumping into uncharted territory, saying that Vitality will “give the project a certain amount of time to see if it can be effective, well-received and beneficial.”
“We will try to adapt to the system in the short/medium term,” he added. “In six months it may be different or perhaps even more complicated, but none of us can predict the future with the current situation.”
