Sid “sidde” Macedo spoke to HLTV after FURIA were eliminated from ESL Pro League Season 24, discussing the demanding schedule, mental exhaustion and the need to balance preparation with recovery before the Major.
The coach also explained the difficult period during the group stage, the limited time available to update the playbook and the frustration behind the recent “playing FACEIT” comment from Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis.
FURIA need to manage energy before the Major
The schedule remains one of the main problems for FURIA heading into the final part of the season.
According to sidde, the first half of the year included a large number of tournaments, constant travel between regions and very little time for a proper reset.
FURIA still have three events to play before the Major, including Thunderpick and PGL Bucharest 2027, meaning there will be no extended break in the near future.
We need to find a good balance to not get to the Major feeling 100% burned out.
sidde explained that every free day between tournaments now has value, whether it is used to add something to the playbook, fix existing problems or simply recover mentally.
sidde says managing frustration is a major part of his job
FURIA experienced what sidde described as a low point during the group stage of ESL Pro League Season 24, but still recovered to reach the playoffs.
The coach said he was proud of how the team responded despite eventually being eliminated by MOUZ in the quarter-final.
One of the biggest challenges is keeping the players focused while several issues are happening at the same time.
sidde said the team needs to accept that it will not win every match and learn to handle frustration better when results or individual performances do not meet expectations.
He also highlighted the need to find motivation late in a long season, especially with the level shown by FURIA still below what the team produced during its strongest period.
Lack of preparation time affects the playbook
The packed schedule has also limited the amount of time FURIA can spend on structured practice.
sidde explained that frequent travel and tournament appearances have left little opportunity to properly reset or introduce major updates to the system.
Instead, the team has to use short breaks between events as efficiently as possible.
The goal is to continue developing the playbook without using so much energy that the players arrive at the Major already exhausted.
sidde explains YEKINDAR “playing FACEIT” comment
sidde also addressed a timeout during which YEKINDAR criticized the level of play and said the team were “playing FACEIT.”
The coach said he understood the frustration behind the comment. According to him, FURIA had prepared plans for the rounds but were often unable to execute them because of unnecessary opening deaths, missed trades and lapses in focus.
He explained that the phrase was not about literally playing like a FACEIT match, but rather about skipping parts of the team system and not approaching situations with enough discipline.
sidde also credited YEKINDAR with helping keep the rest of the lineup accountable when the team stops following the agreed plan.
FURIA now turn their attention to the remaining events before the Major, with managing physical and mental energy becoming one of the main priorities for the final stretch of the season.
