en
ru
Hello, community! In the past season, many of you participated in the amazing seasonal tournament Winline Champions League with a prize pool of $50,000. The Fanton team spoke with the fantasy manager who took 1st place in this tournament and won an impressive $5,960.
Remember what thoughts you had when you started the tournament. What was your goal? How many teams did you decide to take from the first round? Perhaps you didn’t even hope for victory and didn’t think about it at all?
— After the announcement, I didn’t want to play the tournament until the last rounds because the group stage of the Euro was quite exhausting. So I decided that if at least one team made it to the playoffs from the tickets before the last rounds, it would be good. Once in the playoffs, my goal was to finish in the prizes. I think I achieved that goal.
Have you had experience playing in similar tournaments? If so, share the details. Also, let us know which fantasy platforms you play on.
— Yes, I have experience. I played the Euro season on Fanton. I finished 11th in the tournament. As I mentioned, the group stage was exhausting for me because I played with 10 teams from the very first round with different lineups. The playoffs went much more smoothly. Currently, I play on FPL, serieafantasy.com, and the Champions League. I also previously played in seasonal tournaments on Fanteam and Fantasybet.
How and when did you come to Fanton? Did someone invite you? Or did you see an ad somewhere? What tournaments do you enjoy playing besides seasonal ones?
— I joined roughly at the end of the 22/23 season through an ad from some Telegram channel about fantasy games. Since I’m subscribed to many channels, I can’t say exactly which one. I was intrigued by the concept of playing fantasy with four players, so I decided to give it a try. I mostly play Premier League rounds and free tournaments, as well as some NFT tournaments.
What do you like or dislike about the platform right now?
— I like the Battles mode. Overall, I enjoy all the common tournaments; there’s something for everyone. Though sometimes it feels like there are too many tournaments, and it’s hard to navigate. I’d like more filters for tournaments. I don’t like some bugs, like when the player list stops at 20 players when building a squad. Sometimes it’s hard to reach tech support, but they respond relatively quickly to important issues. I’d also like some changes to the NFT system and a more active market. Sometimes, prizes from top places go to those who play for 5 minutes, so they can’t be traded, sold, or used yourself.
Let’s get back to the Champions League. Remember your lineups. Were there any super successful picks? Or maybe, on the contrary, were there some real flops? Name the players who really brought you points and in which round it happened.
— I’ll specifically talk about the knockout stage. I made it to this stage with two lineups. From the first round, my team No. 1 showed decent results. The second team immediately ended up in the group of outsiders because I didn’t manage to save the lineup in time. So, starting from the second round, the lineups for team No. 1 were assembled with the goal of maintaining the results, and there were less risky picks, while the second team aimed to find unconventional picks that would boost its performance. Therefore, all the major flops were in the second team, for example, Donnarumma against Aston Villa. The players who brought me the most points were: Mendes (who was in every round except the first, I’m rooting for his Golden Boot), Yamal in the semifinals, Rafinha, Kimmich, and Oblak in the second matches of the Round of 16.
Did you discuss your lineups with anyone? Maybe you consulted with other fantasy players?
— No, I didn’t discuss my lineups with anyone and didn’t look much at other people’s lineups to avoid the situation where I initially pick one player and then switch to another because someone suggested it. So I just fielded the players I liked the most at that moment.
What tactics did you choose for the tournament overall? Did you have a strategy, or was it just gut feeling?
— Since my goal was to finish in the prizes, I tried to analyze how the match would play out, who would have more possession, how teams would defend and attack. Based on these thoughts, I tried to pick players who suited the match best. But gut feeling played a role too, as I often hesitated between Rafinha and Yamal, Hakimi and Mendes, and which midfielder to choose. So, I think my tactics were a balance between strategy and gut feeling.
Tell me about the situation in the final. Was there a tough choice regarding picks, or did you know right away who to take? Were you worried about any of the opponents?
— Before the final, I started to feel nervous for the first time during the tournament, so my biggest concerns were about myself. However, I had a decent lead, so I just needed to pick players who wouldn’t let me down. Overall, I knew right away who I would take. I expected a lot of saves from Sommer, Mendes was in almost every one of my lineups in the playoffs, and Dembélé was in fantastic form. The toughest pick was in midfield, where I ultimately chose the underperforming Neves.
Under what circumstances did you find out about your victory? How did you celebrate? Who among your close ones found out about the win first? And of course, if you’re willing to share, how do you plan to spend the prize money — we’re not pushing, but it’s really interesting in general!
— I found out about the victory in the morning when the tournament closed, so there weren’t any special circumstances. I told my parents and close friends who know something about fantasy. I celebrated modestly with my favorite shawarma and cold unfiltered beer. I plan to spend the prize money on a trip, where there will be a less modest celebration.
How can this season-long format be improved? Any ideas?
— Personally, I like this season-long format; it’s interesting and dynamic. But in my opinion, this format isn’t very suitable for a regular championship. If it were introduced for the EPL or RPL, I think transfers should be implemented, or at least one player should carry over to the next round. Or, conversely, avoid repeating players each round. Perhaps for the group stage, different thresholds for advancing to the next round could be considered. But overall, I like this season-long format for cup tournaments.
Which season-long format are you looking forward to now? RPL, maybe EPL?
— Right now, I’m enjoying a break from fantasy and football, so none at the moment. But when the season starts, I’d happily play in the EPL. And I think a Serie A season-long format would be more interesting than the EPL.
Thanks for the answers, it was awesome. Is there anything you’d like to wish for Fanton or its community?
— Thanks for the questions! I’d also like to thank Fanton and Winline for the tournament! To Fanton and its team, I wish growth and prosperity. To the community and players, I wish patience, calm, victories, and to enjoy the game. And to everyone, I wish health, peace, and to never put off your dreams!