Spirit to Compete Without On-site Coaches in Cologne

Spirit will not have head coach Sergey ‘hally’ Shavaev or coach Dmitry ‘S0tF1k’ Forostyanko physically present for the IEM Cologne Major playoff matches. The organization confirmed Shavaev missed the team’s Stage 2 and Stage 3 matches for health reasons and will continue working with the roster remotely. Forostyanko cannot travel to Germany after failing to obtain a visa in time and will also provide remote support.

Konstantin Machaidze, Spirit’s brand director, outlined how the coaching duties are split following a recent staff restructure. He said S0tF1k handles ‘micro stuff, strats, mechanics, nades,’ while hally covers broader tactical planning. Both coaches will communicate with players and provide call sheets, strategic adjustments and post-match analysis from off-site.

Spirit reached the playoffs undefeated at Cologne, going 3-0 in both Stage 2 and Stage 3. Danil ‘donk’ Kryshkovets has led the team with a tournament rating of 1.71. The team’s quarter-final opponent is not yet confirmed; Spirit is placed on the same side of the bracket as Vitality and Falcons, who meet in the opening round.

Tournament rules prevent remote coaches from standing behind players at the venue, which limits the immediacy of in-match input compared with on-site coaches. Spirit’s roster will rely on in-game leadership and remote coaching channels to manage tactical decisions and adjustments during matches.

Spirit’s organization said the coaches’ remote work will cover pre-match preparation, strategy changes and mid-series analysis to the extent allowed by the event’s regulations. Teams at past majors have also operated with remote coaching when on-site staffing was not possible.