Zonic Reveals Why He Joined Vitality, Plans and Goals for the CS:GO Team
The new CS:GO coach has it all planned out.
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As part of their $56 million USD investment for creating European super teams across multiple esports title, Team Vitality has shifted from a completely French lineup to an international CS:GO roster. One of their most important acquisitions for the 2022 competitive circuit is the Danish coach Danny "zonic" Sørensen, who previously worked with Astralis for about six years and is currently among the most accomplished mentors in the scene.
Despite having won multiple CS:GO Majors and even the coveted Intel Grand Slam title, the 35-year-old is not yet done. After spending two months on the sidelines, zonic has returned to dominate the scene once again as he explains why he chose to go with Vitality over the other bigger salary offerings, while also talking about how he plans to groom this international CS:GO lineup.
Zonic explains why he chose to coach Vitality's international CS:GO roster
With a grand résumé that precedes the man himself, zonic is not ready to dial it down but rather continue on the same path and help Vitality get out of the rut they are currently stuck in. The French organization was a shadow of its former self in 2021, managing to win just a single top-tier CS:GO tournament - IEM Winter 2021.
Talking about why he decided to join Vitality in an interview with Dexerto, zonic revealed that he had many offers, some offering an even higher salary than Vitality, but he decided to join the French organization because it is the team that he believes has the potential to win a big title.
For me, it was never about getting the biggest paycheck or securing the best conditions for my family. I chose the team that I believe the most in. If it was about my family, it would have been a Danish team. If it was about money, it would have been a different team. I chose the team that I felt was the most competitive.Danny "zonic" Sørensen - Interview with Dexerto
Zonic talks about his plans with the new Vitality team and goals for the 2022 season
The former Astralis trio coming to Vitality was a decision taken by zonic and was also backed by the organization. Both Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Emil "Magisk" Reif wanted to continue working with me, so they came along.
Zonic's approach to building this team is a bit different as he is trying to break the barriers between the players before starting work on their playbook. He has ways of developing English as the official language within the team, so there will be less French and Danish being spoken between the players.
I think I’m going to do a lot of things differently. I can’t go into details about most things, that’s between me and the team. I’m looking forward to working with these guys.Danny "zonic" Sørensen - Interview with Dexerto
Speaking about the lineup, Dan "apEX" Madesclaire will continue to be the main shot caller for the side, with Magisk being his second in command. All said and done, Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut will continue to serve as the linchpin for the side with zonic backing him up completely.
Though his philosophy lies in building Vitality up as a team, zonic states that, "I’m hired to win trophies and that will be my priority, but in order to win trophies, I also think that you need to push the players individually.”
Between talented individuals and experience being brought in by the rest, zonic has complete faith in the team. He thinks they can function really well as a unit both within and outside the server.
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