Zakk becomes the new head coach at Team Imperial

Brazilian CS:GO coach zakk joins Imperial’s line-up as the team’s new Head Coach. zakk was previously at 9z but is now making a fresh start with Imperial.

Imperial have announced that they have signed Brazilian Rafael “zakk” Fernandes as the team’s new head coach. zakk will replace Lincoln “fnx” Lau, who was leading the team since the summer of 2022 when he was promoted from player to coach.

Furthermore, there was another change in the Imperial line-up just a day prior. Shortly before signing the contract with zakk, Imperial brought on player Jhonatan “JOTA” Willian, who was added to the line-up to replace Fernando “fer” Alvarenga.

zakk returns to a coaching role

Before joining Imperial, the 31-year-old zakk worked at 9z for almost 3 years. With his expertise and experience, the team has come a long way, winning some big matches and regional tournaments, most notably the FiReLEAGUE 2021.

The Brazilian captain also stood behind team 9z as they progressed through the Challengers Stage of PGL Antwerp and the qualifier for IEM Rio Major. In Belgium, the Argentinians placed 23rd-24th, while in Rio RMRs for South America, things didn’t go as well as they’d hoped — they didn’t succeed in advancing to the Major. 

During his time with 9z, he was involved in the CS:GO coach bug scandal, for which he was suspended by ESIC for more than 50 days in 2022.

Zakk finally left 9z two weeks ago, but it didn’t take long for him to find a home with a new organization. 

Imperial hope for a boost with a new coach

Now keen to help its roster achieve new heights, Imperial are presumably hoping that the Brazilian can give the line-up the impetus it needs to bring out the best in the players. 

Last year, the line-up made it to the Legends Stage at the PGL Major in Antwerp, finishing in 9th-11th place and taking home $8,750 in prize money. It was a bit worse at the first-ever Brazilian Major, as they managed to secure only the 23rd-24th finish. 

The Brazilian team seemed uncoordinated and out of shape, losing game after game, which caused a lot of frustration for the players and the organization’s fans. Hopefully in 2023, zakk will lead the team towards better results at the international CS:GO scene.

Here’s the full 2023 Imperial CS:GO lineup:

• Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo (IGL)
• Jhonatan “JOTA” Willian
• Ricardo “Boltz” Prass
• Marcelo “cello” Cespedes
• Vinicius “VINI” Figueiredo
• Rafael “zakk” Fernandes (Coach)

Header: Imperial Esports