If you play games at the highest level, then a professional eSports contract is inevitable. At least that's the experience of the officially best e-footballer in Europe, the Serbian national team Marko Roksić Roksa. He has dominated tournaments and competitions since 2018, and he does equally well in all modes - 1v1; 2v2 and 11v11. He currently defends the colors of Barcelona as a professional e-Footballer, and it was because of this contract that he continued to play football simulation when Konami shut down PES and switched to e-Football.
Today, he claims that he likes the game more and more and that he is sure that it will be further improved, and he believes that he can bring Serbia another title from the World Championship, which will be held in Indonesia at the end of the year.
You recently triumphed at the European e-Football Championship, which was held in Podgorica. From the start, you were considered the favorite, and now when you sum up your impressions, who was your toughest opponent?
It is true that I was considered one of the favorites, but there were other players who could mess with me. However, I managed to live up to the expectations of those who considered me the favorite and won the European Championship in e-Football, which took place as part of the e-Fest at the beginning of last month in Podgorica.
My toughest opponent was a Spaniard who was in my group. It's the only e-footballer in the championship that I didn't manage to beat. Namely, I lost in one match, the second we played a draw in the second leg.
Watching your matches, it was as if you were toying with your opponents. Namely, you knew that you would lose a round when everyone expected you to win it, but in the next one you easily get back in shape and triumph. Did you also explore your ranges in that way, or is it solely the reason for the current drop in concentration?
In general, I tried to beat all the opponents I played with. I got burned the most when I lost to the Spaniard 3:2 in the 92nd minute. It was my first defeat at that moment. In the next competition, I also lost to players from Armenia, but that second round, those return matches were a kind of test, because I was researching the teams offered by e-Football. I wanted to find the best team for eliminations and highlights, so I experimented a bit. Rematches served me for training.
Speaking of concentration, how difficult is it to keep it, given that you play ten matches a day in these kinds of competitions and change a lot of opponents?
It is hard. I know that there was talk that we would play the quarterfinals on the same day, so we asked the organizers to change that and to play only the round of XNUMX, leaving the quarterfinals for the next day.
After those 10 or so games, that's not it. Football is played, but the concentration cannot be at the top level, therefore we cannot provide quality games either. I think that five, six games a day is quite correct for one hundred percent concentration.
How much will the European experience help you prepare for the World Cup, which will be held in Bali in a few months? Which competitor do you "most fear"?
It helped me a lot because there I played the best e-Football, which is still a new game. Until recently, we all played PES, so e-Football is still insufficiently explored for us. I have also made the tactics with which I will play, I also know which team I will choose for the World Cup. As for the opponents, I haven't informed myself yet, I don't know anything about them. I believe that there will be good players, but I also believe in myself and that I will achieve the same success as in Montenegro.
Many have just complained after PES was replaced by e-Football. How did you like the new version of the football simulation and how long did it take you to get used to it?
Honestly, it was a really bad game for me in the beginning. I have to admit that I didn't really cook it. The only reason I stayed to play it was because I was a professional, I had a contract and I had to practice and adapt to the game as much as possible. I wasn't very good at first.
The turning point happened when I played the qualifiers for Bali and Montenegro, where I found my tactics and figured out the game. It's really good for me so far. The game has a chance to improve, they just need to improve those things a bit more and I think it will be an excellent football simulation.
Last weekend you were in Primošten, where you competed in both 2v2 and 1v1 modes. Which one suits you better?
I am a member of the "PES expert" organization, they invited me and I came to try my hand at that tournament in 1v1 and 2v2 modes. As for the 2v2 mode I played with Luka Kulusic who generally doesn't play e-Football, I didn't have it with me I'm baking which I play with all the time. Luka and I did not train together, so that also affected the result. Although, it was interesting because I love the 2v2 mode, I really like it. Actually, I don't care if it's 1v1 or 2v2, I like both modes. However, in the 2v2 I lost, and I won the 1v1.
As you said yourself, in 1v1 mode you still won. Given that you played with gamers from the environment that you did not meet due to the draw at the European Championship in Podgorica, what kind of support did they provide in Primošten and can they be competitive?
It was kind of expected. We have reached the end Luka Gajić, Genre i Veco. I think they all deserved to be there, because they played well. But, these are all nuances and little things where my experience that I gained certainly helped me to reach the end and win.
I think that at the tournament in Primošten I had only one lost game in 1v1 mode. All the players were really great. The Balkans has always been full of good simulation football players, I believe there will be more on the pro scene.
There are still a few months until the World Cup, will there be any more preparatory tournaments until then?
There are two months until that tournament. Well, now I used the one in Primošten, and I sincerely hope that we will have at least two more tournaments before going to Indonesia, because they help us to stay in shape as much as possible. Currently there is no online mode in e-Football, so there are not many opportunities to organize tournaments. Konami hasn't put anything more serious into the game yet.
As far as I understand, you are a professional player of PES, now e-Football. How much do titles in competitions like World and European help e-footballers to get good contracts?
My first year, when I won first place in Zagreb in 2018, and after that I went to China and played in a tournament, also brought me my first professional contract, which I signed for the Nantes team. After that, another one followed, so I got the opportunity to play for Roma, and it was preceded by a vice-champion position at Evoopski.
Then I played in that pro league where I was one of the best players. After that I got a contract in Barcelona and in the meantime I won the championship with Serbia. All those results mean a lot, but they are all monitored, just like in real football. As soon as you enter the circle of professionals - you're there, you just keep in shape.
I don't know how long you followed, but the Budućnosti team from Podgorica won two titles last season in 11v11 mode. Do you like the 11v11 mode, and can you maybe play for the Future with the guys?
I followed. At one time we also formed the Zvezda team, so I played that 11v11 mode myself. Before Budućnost, we actually won the Champions League title, and after that we retired, retired and let others play. You see, that was good because Buducnost won the title after us (laughs). I know some guys who play for Buducnost, they are great and of course it may happen that one day I will play for Buducnost. If there is a transfer, I will be very happy to go and play for the blue and white.
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