The FC Bayern eFootball team have clocked up a first title win in their first season after victory over Barcelona in the final of the eFootball.pro Cup. José Sánchez and Co. had earlier finished as runners-up in the abandoned league season. The numerous hours of work and training paid off: "It's great that the professional approach of everybody involved has paid off," said FCB eSports coach Matthias Luttenberger about the title win. And captain Sánchez is also aware of the significance of the title: "It's a great responsibility to represent a club like FC Bayern and that's why we’re even happier to win a title in our first season."
“Nightmare” semi-final
The route to the cup success was not easy for the FCB gamers. "It was a nightmare against Juventus," said the clearly exhausted Miguel Mestre. "It was definitely the longest game of my life. They're incredibly difficult to defend against." In the first leg against the Turin team, FCB were in the lead but a poor 10 minutes cost the Munich team victory in the end. In the second leg, Bayern looked undeterred by the 3-2 defeat as they took a 3-0 lead. The Italians came back to make it 3-2 and succeeded in forcing a play-off. But the Munich men were able to come out on top with a 1-0 win taking them through to the final.
Wonder strike seals the title
Barcelona were familiar opponents in the final. Bayern played the Catalan side both in the league and in the group stages of this competition – with the Bavarians coming out on top in all the games. "It wasn't easy against Barcelona but we quickly went ahead," said Mestre. The winner was also the best goal. Mestre's strike for the final score of 2-0 was named the best goal in the knockout phase. Alex Alguacil was also able to enjoy receiving the award as the best player in the finals. "It's an incredible feeling and we can't really believe it," said the 22-year-old Spaniard who was over the moon.
Online party and meal together
And what is the party like for winning a title online? The three players are together in a gaming centre in Madrid. "We'll celebrate a bit here but to be honest we are very tired. We'll rest in the hotel and then perhaps go into the city centre for a meal together in the evening," reported Sánchez. Coach Luttenberger was not at the tournament but he is equally happy about his team: "It's obviously a great pity that not everybody involved can celebrate a title win together. But we were able to celebrate together online."
What's next for the eSports players?
This outstanding success marks the end of the eFootball PES 2020 season for our eSports players as there are no outstanding official competitions. They will use the time to recover and wait for the 2021 season update from KONAMI that is due to appear in September. "Now the time has come to take a break so that we can get back on top form," said Sánchez. "It was a very long season," added Mestre, who is also looking to take a rest before carrying on: "I'll use the time to stream on my Twitch channel so I can be back on form in September." Their break is definitely well-earned as the FC Bayern team have won their first big title on the virtual football pitch.
The Audi Digital Summer Tour 2020 is on at the moment. You can see yesterday's highlights about FC Bayern and our fans by reading the daily summary:
