Leonardo "leo_druNky" Oliveira spoke to HLTV.org after his team's 2-1 loss against G2, which saw Sharks place 3rd-4th at PLG Grand Slam.

Sharks were one of the teams who achieved more than what was expected from them in Abu Dhabi, getting out of a tricky group and then beating TYLOO in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, against G2, things started well for the Brazilians, who took a one-sided win on Train, but the Frenchmen were convincing on Dust2 and closed out the series with a 16-0 on Nuke.


leo_druNky doesn't plan to change his unconventional nickname any time soon
Following his team's top-four finish, we spoke to leo_druNky to hear what he thinks about their performance at this event, the Brazilian opposition and their bootcamps in Portugal.

This last map aside, a 16-0 loss to G2 on Nuke, what are your thoughts on how you did at PLG?

We did really great, our main objective was to get through the group stage, but we managed to beat TYLOO in a very good way. Unfortunately, against G2, they played really well on Dust2, and then our Nuke just fell apart on the T side. We worked really hard and we didn't deserve that loss the way it happened, because until then we had been playing so much better. But generally, I think that we had a great campaign and we are very excited about the future.

You are one of the Brazilian teams that didn't make the Americas Minor, and there are actually four of them that did. How do you think you are matching up against those teams right now?

The Brazilian scene is growing very fast, there are a lot of good teams and when we were in Brazil we lost against them because they are really good. I think that against them we have a certain advantage in terms of tactics, but when it comes to aim, they are really good.

I think that against [Brazilian teams] we have a certain advantage in terms of tactics, but talking about aim, they are really good
Leonardo "leo_druNky" Oliveira
Your team has gone back and forth between Europe and Brazil. How has that been? What are your takeaways from each part, bootcamping in Portugal and playing from back home?

The bootcamp in Portugal is always nice for us because we learn a lot. We grow really fast in Europe and we try to enjoy the level of Europe to the maximum, all the teams that are there. When we go back to Brazil, we try to maintain our level and, obviously we try to get better also, but it is harder because there is not a lot of good teams there. Practice is troublesome, sometimes you will have five or six practices scheduled in a day and you will just play two because the teams cancel and stuff like that. But in general, bootcamping in Europe is really good for us, then we go back to Brazil, stay with our family to be close to our friends, that is good as well. That is the balance of stuff.

What are your plans for the future, do you wish to continue in this way, going back and forth? Is North America an option?

For Sharks, North America is not an option, we are a team from Portugal and our plan is to stay in Europe for bootcamps and also live there for a few months. Then we go back to South America, play the qualifiers that are there, we will continue doing this ping-pong.

Practice in Brazil is troublesome, sometimes you will have five or six practices scheduled in a day and you will just play two because the teams cancel
Leonardo "leo_druNky" Oliveira
This lineup has been together for a fairly long time, not extra long, but in CS terms the nine months that you have had with this roster are a lot. What is the secret to that? What is the chemistry in the team like?

The core of the team has been together for more than a year, but, as you said, we have been with the same team for nine months and I think that it is natural that we get closer together from being together for a long time. We might get into some trouble, fights, arguing, but that is normal. We are humans and we try to always lift the spirit, positivity always, and we have managed to do this very well. I think that we will stay together for a long time.

I have to ask a stupid question, your nickname, leo_druNky, is amusing to a lot of people. (leo_druNky starts laughing) How did you come up to it, and, are there any thoughts like "Maybe I should change this, maybe I'm too serious to have this nickname"?

Yeah man, my nickname, for me it is funny, but some people found it stupid, I respect that. (laughs) When I was 10 or 11 I played ESEA in Brazil and I didn't have a nickname, so why not 'drunky_unicorn'? And I used that, but then I started playing better, playing a lot so I removed the 'unicorn', which is really bad, stuck with 'drunky' and put my name Leo at the start of it so it became 'leo_drunky'. And I don't want to change it, that is my nickname and I will stick with it!

We as a team expect a bright future because we trust each other so much, we trust our potential and I think that in the next year we will do some serious damage
Leonardo "leo_druNky" Oliveira
What are your thoughts about the team moving forward? Anything you want to add, any shoutouts?

I want to give a shoutout to everybody who cheered for us, doesn't matter if it is from Brazil or Portugal, and also to our families and friends, everybody. Your support is very important for us. And we would like to thank the Sharks organization for the conditions they have secured for us so we can just play and focus on CS. We as a team expect a bright future because we trust each other so much, we trust our potential and I think that next year we will do some serious damage.