EXCEL Esports name Tim Reichert as new director

EXCEL Esports has hired former Schalke 04 Esports Managing Director, Tim Reichert, as their new Esports Director. The British organization has taken advantage of the significant changes at Schalke 04, who recently sold their League of Legends LEC spot.

Reichert acted as Schalke 04’s Head of Esports from May 2016 to September 2017, before becoming Chief Gaming Officer. After less than 12 months in this role, Reichert then became Managing Director of the organization’s Esports division. The German now makes the switch to a European rival, where he will be in charge of EXCEL’s competitive operation.

Why Reichert made the switch to EXCEL

Reichert was instrumental in Schalke 04’s success over the years, with the org having been one of the 10 partner teams of the LEC. This was until they just recently sold their franchise spot to Team BDS for over $30 million. Financial issues for the German organization hit them pretty hard, however they will still compete in Esports in the Prime League Pro Division. This is an event organized by Riot Games in the DACH region.

Speaking on their departure from the LEC, Schalke 04 Esports posted the following message on Twitter together with a documentary: “This is it. This is our final documentary. A look back at the year behind us, but also at our five year journey in the #LEC. This is Nullfear – the story of how a big football club from Gelsenkirchen fought for glory in Europe’s greatest esports league. We hope you enjoy”

Why EXCEL Esports continue to grow

It has been a busy period for EXCEL Esports, who named Wouter Sleijffers as its new CEO in January, with co-founder Kieran Holmes-Darby having move to Esports Director. As a result of Reichert having now been announced as the new Esports Director, the future of Holmes-Darby is uncertain. The British organization has yet to make any statement on the matter.

Joel Holmes-Darby, Kieran’s brother, departed the organization after six years in August 2020, having joined Method. Meanwhile, EXCEL recently entered the FIFA scene by signing world no.1 Tom “Tom” Leese from Hashtag United, in what was the most expensive signing in the game’s history.

EXCEL also competed in Fortnite and VALORANT, with the org having raised some £17 million in investment in July in an attempt to take them to the next level. CEO Sleijffers stated that EXCEL would be “entering the next chapter”, with the British org looking to compete on an international level.