As reported by Fraglider and later confirmed by other reputable sources, Spain-based team Movistar Riders is making a new replacement for their team after an unfortunate losing streak.
The team will bench Raúl “DeathZz” Jordán Nieto and turn their hopes to Pere “sausol” Solsona Saumell. Since his contribution to SAW back in March 2021, the rifler did not return to a Spanish team until this moment. His last team was the Partizan Esports.
The decision is part of a set of well-calculated executive movements to give the team a fresh breath of air after a disappointing performance throughout the 2022 season.
Following the absence of AWPer Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia and his trade to ENCE in August, the team endured several failed runs during the four RMR open qualifiers that would give them a spot at the IEM Rio Major.
Rifleman DeathZz was part of the team for over a year after joining the roster in August 2021. Despite his excellent skillset, the 26-year-old player did not perform flawlessly.
With a 0.98 rating across 228 maps, he scored the team’s second-lowest rating after becoming second only to a humble 0.91 score from David “dav1g” Granado.
Despite the bad phase, the five-player set managed to win the ESL Challenger Valencia at home before seizing advantage of the momentum to score positively enough for a decent 3-4th place run during the IEM Cologne 2022.
Their appearance at the playoffs was a fundamental milestone in the Spanish team’s history, as it was their first time playing on the world’s biggest stage. At the end of this quick run, they were able to secure a respectable 5th position in the world ranking.
Their current goal is to survive against the odds and perform better next season. Unfortunately, their unsuccessful run at the RMR qualifiers against lower-ranked opponents surely affected their morale as a competitive team.
The odds did not change since then, as they recently missed a spot out of groups at the notable ESL Challenger Rotterdam. As a consequence, their poor performance led them to a disappointing 23rd place in the world ranking, which is their lowest placement since early 2022.
Previously signed by Partizan in mid-August, AWPer sausol is expected to help boost the team’s mood and add up to the group’s competitive cohesion. The move confirmed rumors fueled by a statement from Jovan Mijailovic, Partizan’s president and co-founder.
The Partizans ended up in 25-32nd place at the ESEA Advanced Season 42 in 25-32nd place, which led them to a not-to-remember 115th place in the world ranking. Despite this scenario, sausol stood out as an admirable player.
The 22-year-old skillfully scored a 1.05 rating across 36 maps during the two months he was signed with the Partizans. Active since 2019 and boasting a considerable experience in different competitive levels (tiers A, B, and C), sausal’s highlights included:
3rd place at the DreamHack Open November 2021 (with Mad Lions)
1st place at the ESEA Cash Cup: Europe – Autumn 2021 #1 (with Mad Lions)
1st place at the GameGune (with Mad Lions)
1st place at the Esport Tour Pro Summer 2021 (with Mad Lions)
With Raúl “DeathZz” Jordán Nieto benched, the current team’s roster features Alejandro “mopoz” Fernández-Quejo Cano, Alejandro “alex” Masanet, David “dav1g” Granado Bermudo, Antonio “Martinez” Martinez, and Galder “bladE” Barcena (coach).