Meet your Gillette Championship finalists!
As we edge closer to the launch of the Gillette Championship live grand finals, our Gfinity scouts have been busy searching for the best Pro Evolution Soccer players in Europe.
Over 1,000 people have already signed up to the Gillette Championship and competed in our online qualifiers, which are still underway, and today we’re delighted to introduce you to the first batch of our Gillette Championship Finalists.
My name is Jorge, I'm 22 years old and I'm from Spain. I'm in the final year of my computer engineering course.
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
My friends, who are PES players, mentioned it to me, as it is a very interesting championship
Is there any specific reason you entered the Northern Ireland qualifier?
I wanted to qualify for the LAN finals and Northern Ireland was the first cup of the Gillette Championship. When the championship started, I felt very comfortable with Northern Ireland against my opponents, I played well and won.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
No, I have actually competed in three consecutive Spanish PES nation finals and in February I travelled to Lisbon for the Iberic Finals between Spanish and Portuguese players. But this is the most important LAN event I have ever attended and I am very excited to be a part of it.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I think my main strength is the mobility of my players on the field, which allows me to do damage when I attack.
I think my biggest weakness is the fact that I’ll need to stay focused throughout the entire match and defend well against my opponents.
Do you believe you can win it?
Not really, it's almost impossible. Northern Ireland is one of the worst teams in PES and the Euro’s but I will try to win. My goal is to pass the group stage.
My name is Cesare Giannuzzi. I am 44 years old and I’m from South Italy (Bari).
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
I discovered the Gillette Championship via Gfinity’s Facebook page.
Is there any specific reason you entered the Albania qualifier?
No, it's a team player and they're not used by many in the qualification, so it was easier.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
It is not my first LAN. I have already participated in other events Offline.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths: defence of Albania.
Weaknesses: the Albanian goalkeeper :P
Do you believe you can win it?
I think with Albania it's going to be very, very difficult but I will try.
I am Caniglia Cosimo, I'm 24 years old and I’m from Oria, Brindisi,, Italy. I’m very passionate about sport and volleyball and football are my two childhood passions.
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
I discovered the Gillette Championship through close friends and I was immediately excited.
Is there any specific reason you entered the Wales qualifier?
I chose Wales because I love Gareth Bale.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
This will be my first live big event. I competed in some stages of the PES League in Italy but unfortunately I was unable to continue due to work.
I’m very excited and happy for this great opportunity and experience. I can’t wait!
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
As far as I’m aware, my biggest strength is that I’m the type of guy who always plays to win. However, one of my biggest flaws is that I can’t stand losing. This is something I’m working on, in order to improve myself.
I will need to control my excitement, as I’m a very emotional player.
Do you believe you can win it?
In order to win, it will be very, very difficult, especially with the high level of players in attendance. There will be some of the best players in the world and for me, it will be a great honour to compete alongside them.
I'll try to win; I’m hoping for a super Bale. <3
What do you think of Gillette?
Gillette is one of the largest brands in the world. To have them organising an eSports event will only increase our worldwide fame.
I cannot wait to leave for London, one of my favourite cities, and play with the strongest PES players in the world.
It is a great chance for me and I will never stop thanking GILLETTE for this little dream!
Hello. My name is Pablo 'pabloartista' Ruiz, I’m 26 years old and from Sevilla (but I support Real Betis!). I am the Spanish PESLeague 2016 Champion, and 10th place runner-up at the PES World Finals in Milano.
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
A Spanish friend, who lives in London, knows about Gfinity and told me about the championship, so I went onto the website to get information and signed up for the qualifiers.
Is there any specific reason you entered the Iceland qualifier?
Not really. My objective was to qualify for to the Grand Finals in London, so I played in all the possible qualifiers until I earned a spot. I played in the Northern Ireland and Wales qualifiers, and, finally, at the 3rd time, I qualified with Iceland.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
No, I have competed in LAN events on Pro Evolution Soccer since PES 4, so my first event was approximately 12 years ago. But, each event is special for their own reasons.
The Gillette Championships will be my first PES event in the United Kingdom, and only my second outside Spain, the first one was a month ago at the PES World Finals in Milan.
I'm really excited for it, the EURO competition format is special and it will be incredible to play in it.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I believe that I am a veteran player, with a lot of LAN experience, so this is one of my major strengths.
However, with all due respect, Iceland is a weak football team, at least in PES, so I’ll be the underdog in most of my matches in the competition.
Do you believe you can win it?
It will be really difficult, almost impossible. There will be another 23 great players at the Gfinity Arena and most of them will have much better teams than me. But this is PES, and anything can happen.
I will cross my fingers, and play match by match, like Simeone.
What do you think of Gillette?
I am very grateful to Gillette and Gfinity for sponsoring and organising a tournament like this one, and I'm pretty sure the entire PES community will say the same.
I hope we can participate in more competitions like the Gillette Championship in the future, which is organised by these two great hosts.
Any additional comments?
I’m really excited to see you in London and play at the Gfinity Arena. See you soon, and go, go Iceland!
Hey, my name is Ali Sufi, I’m 26 and I've been playing Pro Evolution Soccer since PES6. In 2011 I actually won the PES UK Championship and I’ve also taken part in two World Finals.
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
Funnily enough, Bateson87, tagged me in a tweet and said 'it might be worth your time'.
Is there any specific reason you entered the Republic of Ireland qualifier?
I really like the Republic of Ireland! I know they aren’t the strongest team but it's not about getting the strongest team, it's about being able to play with a team you feel comfortable with and can adapt to.
I know myself and I've played with Ireland throughout the season and I know their strengths and weaknesses, so I believe I can win it and I'll fight to very end.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
It's my first event and I'm really looking forward to it! It will be very interesting to see the atmosphere the people and how everything is! I'm excited really!
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I would say my biggest strength is my mentality of never giving up. When I played in the UK Finals in 2011 I was losing 3-1 in the 70th minute, but I managed to crawl back into the game and win 4-3, scoring in the last minute. It forged my ‘never give up’ attitude.
My biggest weaknesses are the fact that I try to be too perfect at the game and it sometimes costs me, as I play too accurate and make errors at the back.
Do you believe you can win it?
I wouldn’t enter if I didn’t believe I could win! Regardless of how strong my team is, I will go into the finals with the belief that I have the best team.
Hello, my name is Adrian. I'm 25 years old, I live in Malaga, Spain. My hobbies are playing videogames and going out with my friends.
How did you discover the Gillette Championship?
A friend told me about it.
Is there any specific reason you entered the Hungary qualifier?
No, I thought it would be easier to qualify as Hungary.
Will this be your first LAN event? If so, how do you feel heading into it?
No, but it will be my first international event.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
My strength is my defence and my weaknesses is my nerves.
Do you believe you can win it?
It will be difficult, as some opponents have better teams.
What do you think of Gillette?
I think Gillette are the best brand for shaving and this event offers a big opportunity to people like myself.
Any additional comments?
I hope Gillette continue to organize events as well as promote competition.
Want to compete yourself?
There is still time to sign up yourself and play in any of the qualifiers.
Your legacy awaits! Sign up to the Gillette Championship today.
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