Ready to take on the stage, MAD Lions KOI is set to play their opening match against Bilibili Gaming in the Swiss Stage of the League of Legends Worlds 2024. As one of the Spanish squad's rising stars, Álvaro "Alvaro" Fernández del Amo, reflects on his journey to the tournament, dives into his family's support, and answers his team's haters in an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports.

How do you feel ahead of your debut in the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2024, given your journey from the Superliga to the LEC and now to this stage?

Álvaro "Alvaro" Fernández del Amo: "First of all, I'm happy because we have this opportunity. It's something that only 15 players in Europe can experience right now. It's a great chance to improve. We are looking forward to playing against the best teams, and I think BLG is one of the strongest in the world. We're definitely going to take the best out of it. But I am also kind of concerned because I think they are really strong and tough opponents from those regions. Still, I’m just looking forward to being able to play against them and practice.

Have you seen Bin's quote from yesterday? What are your thoughts on it?

Alvaro: Yeah, I saw it. Maybe when Myrwn comes and plays Yuumi top lane, he might be concerned, you know? Maybe we play Rengar/Yuumi, and he’ll just be getting 2v1'd in the top lane. So, get ready because maybe they need it for the 0-1. I’m joking [laughs]!

What do you think are MDK's chances of winning against BLG, considering everyone expects BLG to win? How do you maintain confidence?

Alvaro: Yeah, I mean... when we play officials, we often think we’re a really bad team that needs to improve a lot. Some days we’re really confident and remind ourselves that we’re here because we deserve it and want to win. The chances are tough; we have strong opponents. For example, we’ve had the opportunity to play against other LPL and LCK teams in scrims, but we haven’t faced BLG yet because they’re our enemies. I’m sure it’s going to be really hard. Even if we’re, let’s say, 4k gold ahead, they will still be a tough opponent. So, for me, yeah, I think the chances are low, but they’re not zero.

You often talk about "being in the zone" in interviews. Can you explain what you mean by that? What does it mean for you as players?

Alvaro: For me individually, when I’m in the zone, it’s mostly when I don’t need to think twice about what I’m doing. I’m just going with the flow, making plays I know are good without second-guessing. I don’t ask questions or wait for confirmation; sometimes, I’m just calling the shots. This is what being in the zone means. The problem is when we start to doubt ourselves; that’s when we lose confidence, and it shows up in our performance.

For example, I think I had some bad games recently because I was getting caught and making mistakes. But when I was confident, you would probably see it in the voice comms—against PSG, I said I would Q flash on LeBlanc when she dashed, and everyone was ready to go. No questions asked; no one had to say anything else, just go. I think that’s something that can make a difference, especially if we want to play against BLG.

Do you think that you can make it to quarters if all of you are able to get in the zone simultaneously and consistently?

Alvaro: Yeah, I think we have a chance. Being honest, when I’ve seen our team playing in the zone, we’ve done really great things. I'm not sure how it will go against other teams because I haven't played against them, but it might not be enough if they’re also in the zone and at a higher level than us right now. However, being in the zone will definitely give us the best chance to win, and I think it’s a possibility.

How have you managed the expectations of being regarded as one of the best supports during the play-in? Do you agree that you were one of the best players in that stage?

Alvaro: I think I performed well. I’m also really humble; I don’t let my ego get too high because a lot of people tell me I’m playing insane. I still keep my feet on the ground, as we say in Spain. I’m proud and happy that I was able to deliver and play this well. But I know that once we get into the main event, the Swiss Stage, I’m going to be one of the worst. There will be people who do what I’m doing and even do it better. So, I know I need to play at 100% to be able to beat them. That’s what I’m looking forward to right now.

December 18th, 2021, was a significant day for you when you won the Circuito Tormenta with Kawaii Kiwis. Has there been a more memorable day since then? Do you see your experiences at Worlds and in the LEC as magical as that day?

Alvaro: When I won in 2021, I was still studying computer engineering. It was a really special win because I won with my brother, who was the jungler on that team. After that, I went to the second division, where I was top 2, then I joined G2 Academy, and the next year, I won two Superligas in a row. I was close to winning the EMEA Masters Finals, which I think would have been the best moment because it was in front of a large crowd.

But I would say the LEC has also had its memorable moments. Of course, it has been rough sometimes, and there were times when we felt really sad about losing a lot, especially in the spring and summer splits when we didn’t perform well. However, I remember the experience when we beat G2, 3-2, in the season finals. That series was enjoyable day by day.

Now, at Worlds, beating PSG the other day was a good experience, but I didn’t feel it as much because it wasn't a do-or-die match. So, I would say winning the Circuito Tormenta was one of my biggest achievements, but winning the Superliga and the winter season finals were also really good experiences.

In your last interview on stage, you gave a shoutout to your mom. Can you tell us more about the role your family played throughout your career?

Alvaro: I always want to make them proud, especially my mom and my brother, because they've been with me day by day. My brother used to play competitively with me. I was a jungler at first, but I switched roles to play with him. I ended up playing support because I wanted to be on the same team as him. So, when I won, I wanted to dedicate it to both of them, but especially to my mom. She wasn’t doing well at the time, she had to undergo surgery, and she was watching me from there. That’s why I gave her the shoutout — I felt she deserved it.

How did your family feel about your decision to go pro in esports?

Alvaro: Throughout my career, they've been really open-minded. They knew it was something I wanted to pursue. My mom was a bit concerned at first, thinking it might not be the best path because she wanted me to have a stable job. But when I was studying, I told her that going pro was what I wanted to do. She trusted me and said, "Let's give it a try." Now, she's really proud of me, and she tells me that often. I'm proud of her too, for supporting me all these years.

Would you say they are your main motivation to keep pushing forward?

Alvaro: Yeah, both my brother and my mother. They watch every game. They even came to the LEC Season Finals, but I wasn’t able to win there. I hope we can go to Paris now, and they can come too. It’d be nice for her to leave Spain and visit Paris a bit.

Which teams are you looking forward to facing at Worlds, and are there any specific opponents you want to take down?

Alvaro: For sure T1 and Gen.G. I have big respect for Keria; I even posted a photo the other day. For me, he's a really big inspiration. He encourages me because when I see him playing all these types of picks like Bard support, I think he’s one of the best. There are people who are a bit better than him right now, like Lehends, Delight, and ON, but I definitely want to play against T1. I think Gen.G is the strongest team coming into these Worlds, and of course, BLG is, for me, the second strongest team. My team also really respects ON, so I want to prove to him that I’m capable of beating him. So yeah, I’m really looking forward to playing against Keria, especially with T1, and then Gen.G and BLG.

You still have some haters, and many people think that getting out of the play-ins was the ceiling for MAD Lions KOI and that you won't win any more games from now on. Do you have a response to those who doubt MDK's chances?

Alvaro: I mean, they already said that we didn’t deserve to come here. They said BDS deserved it more than us. We were the team that won the best-of-fives against Fnatic and G2, and we were able to beat them in the series as well. They claimed BDS was supposed to go, but we went in the end. They said we weren’t getting out of play-ins and that we were going to get stomped. We were able to beat PSG, which was, in the eyes of everyone, the strongest opponent and the favorites to win. I don’t know what more there is to prove to these people that we are here and capable of doing it.

Of course, we’re not the most consistent team; I know that for myself. But hey, here we are now, getting out to the main stage. We want to enjoy ourselves and have fun, and for the spectators, with all these crazy picks and everything, we just want to make the best out of it. For these haters, you know, I don’t have anything personal against you. I just hope you enjoy watching us win.

You’re a fan of Keria, who is known for his off-meta picks. Given that MDK is also known for unconventional choices, do you think we might see you play Lee Sin support, especially since it's your favorite champion?

Alvaro: Maybe some Lee Sin/Senna. [Laughs] I mean, yeah, because I used to play jungle. I think, for example, Lee Sin and Viego are really fun to play. I mean, also before it was Pyke, so maybe some Pyke as well. Who knows? I mean, I'm more stable because all of my team wants to play more crazy stuff, like in top and mid especially. So, I need to be the most stable guy so they can try more things. But yeah, maybe something will appear now."