Ovvy - The Last Goal

The Interview

For a start, please tell us where and when were you born? Did you always live there?

I was born in Craiova, Romania and this has been my hometown for 18 years :).

How big is pro-gaming out there? What does your family think of you as a professional gamer?

Pro-gaming started developing and is reaching a medium level, we still have much to do, in comparison with other countries like Germany, Sweden, or the Asian countries. Talking about the support I received from my family, I can say only that they helped me and supported me in every decision I took, regarding professional gaming, football and school, that is why I want to thank them with this occasion.

What does a normal day in your life look like?

Well, I get up in the morning at 8, I go to school for 1 or 2 h, then I have the 1st football training of the day, that I finish at 12:30; after that I have to rest and prepare for the 2nd training of the day. After this one is over I have to study and maybe in the evening go out and have some fun with my friends.

Describe yourself as a little kid. Tell us a funny happening from your childhood.

I prefer not to make fun of my childhood :D, so I will keep to myself the "funny" things.

Who was your first girlfriend, what's her name and how did you meet her? And is there a 'special lady' in your life at the moment?

I don't recall her name I was very, very young at that moment, now I have been involved in a relationship for almost 1 year, with a very special lady that is near me, and supports me in my activities.

What's the best place you have been to in your life, anywhere else that you would like to go?

Probably Greece, nice girls :D and sunny weather , and I would also like to visit central France .

Were you a good student or did you care more of fun outside of school?

I like to think that I did all things very well, and that I managed to be a good student and at the same time I didn't become a geek, and still went out and had some major fun going on :).

How does it feel to earn money from playing games? And when was the first time you did?

It is a nice feeling when your hard trainings are paid with some good amounts of cash, I don't recall my first winnings but I am sure the biggest was at WCG.

Now talking about your gaming career, when did you start to play Fifa? Any funny story on it?

I started playing fifa locally with a friend, Andanu, at fifa 05, and with time passing by I developed a very nice style of play, and joined online and offline events. I like the faces of my opponents when they underestimate me, and in the final they lose, that is funny for me :D .

Before you reformed Tk/Tda, what teams had you performed for? Your gaming history...

The main team where I played was Eq-Gaming, excellent team and surely top 3 in world at fifa. With this opportunity I want to congratulate the Eq CS division for winning the WCG 07 in Romania and wish them good luck in Seattle, go for 1st, the rest doesn't matter .

But maybe sometimes you feel too much obsession for FIFA? How did this game influence your normal life?

Never, I don't like obsessions nothing good comes of them, I like to make a balance in life, probably the most important thing.

What was the first big offline event that you attended, and what was your achievement back then?

WCG 2005 Romania, after playing only for a month fifa, I managed to take 3rd place, who knows what would have happened if I had played for 12 months like the other players :).

Do you ever feel like your skills drop and have a low period? If so, what do you do to get out of this situation?

In a player's career exists high and lower situations , good and bad times, depending on many factors.To pass them I believe you have to be calm and time will sort things out.

What is the most important thing you look at when using/buying a new gamepad/keyboard?

When you buy xbox gamepad, you don't have to look at nothing because it's perfect :).

Can you briefly describe your favourite or perfect team manager to us?

Former Eq-Doktor_x was the best team manager in my career that combined fun with work, I also can say that in my top list are AsRoma (he is good at everything managing teams, coverage and much more), Yzw from NoA that despite our misunderstandings I think without him former YQ team wouldn't have been such a good one.

Tell us something about your biggest achievements among your gaming career?

I won 4th, 5th and 7th national online championship in Romania at 1vs1, 3 times winner on PGL Romania with Eq team, 1st at ECG 2006 Romania, 1st at WCG 2006 Romania, 1st at fifa 06 in ESL International and Romanian ladder, 1st in ESL Romanian ladder at fifa 07, and probably the most important 2nd place at WCG Monza 2006 and also 2nd and 3rd with Eq-FIFA in ESL International Premiership Series.

As you mentioned the ECG 2006 Qualifier, what happened back then? Why didn't you arrive in Hannover?

Thanks to the good organization in my country that forgot to take some important documents I couldn't leave my country and so in my opinion I missed a top 3 classification at ECG.

But your fortune came back at WCG 2006. Talk a little bit please about the qualifier from Romania that you won, and after that about the biggest all time achievement in the history of Romanian esports.

I went to WCG in Romania knowing it will be my last offline event, I was very well prepared and despite I am a modest person, I like to say that I easily won ALL my games.

Is it true that after WCG 2006 in Italy, you decided to quit playing for any qualifier?

Yes it was a decision that I took 2 months before that.

What made you to take this decision?

My football career and a well supported professional contract with a 1st division team in my town.

Which match was the most difficult one for you until now?

Surely the final against hero, and unfortunately when two very close players meet, luck matters also, congrats once again to hero.

In what position would you place your team in your country and what other teams are there?

1st place and as I don't think this interview is about my opponents so I won't name another one.

Do you have many LAN/tournaments in Romania? Could you tell us a bit about that and the name of those?

I think about 4 tournaments - ECG, WCG, CERF, WGT.

What do you do before a big tournament? And what do you normally do after losing an important match?

I usually train 2 weeks before a tournament playing 5 h a day. If I lose a game, I have a motto "Never look back, what is done is done you can't change it".

Who is your biggest rival in Romania? Here referring strictly to gaming ...

We have many good players naming only one of them wouldn't be fair for the others:).

What do you think is the most important ingredients in making a successful Fifa team, name three things?

Friendship, skill and support.

If your professional gaming career was to end today, what will you do? What memories will still remain in your mind? What kind of person do you want to be remembered as?

Fifa has been a very important part of my life so far, I will always remember my achievements that brought me great satisfactions , but as important as those are the friends I made so far in 2 and a half years of professional gaming.

In your gaming career you had the chance to play against the best fifa players in the world. What is your favourite opponent?

I think the question isn't right :), the favourite opponent is the one that loses against you, the hardest is the one that defeated you and I can name hero here :).

What team and tactic do you use in the Fifa07?

Barcelona 4-4-2

Please make a short comparison between Fifa2006 and Fifa2007, with some advantages and disadvantages.

Comparison? It doesn't exist, fifa 07 is made for big sales with random play and big bugs in the game, 06 and 05 were real computer games where skill mattered 90%.

Are there any people that helped and supported you in your gaming career? Tell us some words about them.

Again o lot of people supported me and naming some of them wouldn't be fair for the other, I just want to thank them for all, and I really hope I didn't disappoint them by stepping out of the professional gaming career.

Is there a chance to see Ovvy back in action at one big offline event again? And why not, to win a gold medal for Romania?

Indeed the only thing that would take my attention in getting back would be wining a gold medal for my country, but only time can tell.

In the end of the interview I want to thank you for your time and answers and wish you the best of luck with your football career. Do you have any last words?

I like to leave the field open, and don't say a last word, I just want to say hello to all your readers and good luck.