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European esports outfit Fnatic have announced the return of their Martin “Rekkles” Larssonto to their League of Legends roster for the 2023 season.
“Our new bot laner needs no introduction. After 2 years apart, we’re proud to welcome Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson back to where it all started. Martin previously served with us as early as 2012, and has played amongst many of the highest performing and successful rosters we’ve ever fielded in the Rift,” Fnatic wrote.
Rekkles, who started his career in 2012, has represented numerous top League of Legend teams including Alliance, G2 Esports, Copenhagen Wolves, and Karmine Corp.
Fnatic also stated: “An absolute powerhouse on the bot-lane, he enters the team with a renewed drive and hunger for the game; his personal goals align with what we are looking to achieve in 2023 and we’re confident on what comes next. We know long standing fans of the Black & Orange will be extremely thrilled by this announcement, and we hope that the legacy behind the name will become obvious to all who have joined in more recent months.”
Rekkles will join Danish top laner Martin “Wunder” Hansen, Spanish jungler Iván “Razork” Martín, Czech mid laner Marek “Humanoid” Brázda, and Portuguese support Rúben “rhuckz” Barbosa, who was moved from the academy roster on December 15.
The team will be led by the 30-year-old Portuguese coach Gonçalo “Crusher” Brandão, who was previously in charge of the academy roster until he was promoted to serve on the pro roster alongside the Finnish strategic coach Aleksi “Hiiva” Kaikkonen, formerly from Misfits Gaming.
“We’ve also promoted Gonçalo “Crusher” Pinto Brandão to the Head Coach position as we approach the 2023 season. Working with the Fnatic TQ squad since January 2022, Crusher has helped the team lift their first trophy in Spring,” the team said.
“Joining Crusher, and our existing Strategic Coach Shaves is Hiiva, who will serve as the team’s assistant coach for the year. A former professional support turned coach, Hiiva brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the squad and will work closely with the team to up our game in every possible aspect.”
The new roster will be making its debut in a pre-LEC showmatch which is scheduled for Friday, December 16, at 12:30pm CT. The team will be facing off against the Spanish team KOI, with the latter pegged as -188.68 favorites with BetOnline. Fnatic are paying +140 for the win.
“Along with our Fnatic TQ squad, the 2023 roster will take to the stage tomorrow evening to face off with KOI in a pre-LEC showmatch at Gamergy, Madrid. We’ll begin the evening with a presentation from Javi ‘Dardo’ Zafra, where more questions on the roster and our 2023 season will be answered. We hope you can join us for what will be an extremely memorable evening, and the start of a blooming rivalry with KOI,” the team said.
Fnatic also took the time to announce the goals of the team for the 2023 season.
The statement said: “2023 looks to be an extremely exciting year for Fnatic League of Legends, with dozens of narratives, stories and rivalries soon to unfold on and off the stage. With a revised LEC schedule, you’ll see more of us than ever. Through our consistent coverage and content of the team, we hope you’ll join us for the ride, as we aim for the LEC trophy lifts, and more, once again.”
