Korb3n confirms Pure was their priority during Yatoro's break
2025-03-22 09:44:00Team Spirit manager Dmitriy "Korb3n" Belov admitted they negotiated with Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko when Yatoro went inactive after The International 2024. He stressed that they didn't just bring the academy players but had tests and options to choose from. Korb3n shared this on stream.
We were in negotiations with different players. It probably won't be a secret if I say that we were in negotiations with Pure. Pure was a simple and obvious option. When there is no such option, I will work with those I already know. I know what they are like, what they are capable of, what kind of professionals they are, what kind of personalities they have.
We tested different players, so we didn't simply pick them [Satanic, rue, and Malik]. And there were tests for position 4. It just so happened that we took players from Yellow Submarine.
He also revealed that everyone except Larl wanted to take a break, too. Miposhka stayed only because he was worried about the team's future.
Everyone decided for themselves. But there is also a collective responsibility. For example, Miposhka also wanted to go on vacation. He said that, but then found out that everyone was taking a break. So he was like, "Damn, what happens if I leave?" I said, "If you go on vacation, I'll have to assemble a completely new five." It’s not that easy. It's okay if we still have to find players, but getting an experienced drafter... It will be very difficult.
Also, I can't find five stand-in players. A good player will never play as a substitute... Well, not exactly like that. We're talking about Spirit, so the best players. Spirit should still compete for the best players. This is one of the best teams in the world. The best player will never play as a substitute. Miposhka thought about it on his own, and he literally came the next day and said that he would not go on a break. [Larl?] He was not going to go inactive. Everyone else left.
Team Spirit lost most of the squad after The International 2024, including their coach Silent. It was pre-agreed that he and Collapse would return but they weren't sure about Yatoro and Mira. The temporary squad didn't drop off too much, finishing in the top 4 of most tournaments they attended.
