Cover-Credits:
John Michael “Zico” Dizon officially confirmed his departure from Nexplay EVOS after serving as the head coach for several seasons. Through his recent vlog post, he explained why he left the team and what are his plans moving forward. Zico revealed that he shall continue his career as a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports coach outside the Philippines (PH). The former Nexplay EVOS coach did not reveal the name of the teams that offered him opportunities. However, he plans to try his luck outside the Philippines region and if the results are satisfying for him, he might consider staying for more than one season.
Zico explained Nexplay EVOS’ downfall during Season 9
Through a vlog, Coach Zico revealed that he has received offers from foreign esports organizations. He opted to seek advice from Nexplay EVOS’ former coach Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio.
“So I talked with Boss D[ogie] last night. I said ‘Boss D, I got offers from two teams outside the country. Who do I choose?’,” Zico said.
According to Zico, Dogie replied by saying “Grab this one, because this [team] is MPL. After a season or if you become champion, you can stay there. If you just wish to stay there for only one season, you can return here [Philippines].”
Despite the tempting opportunity to become a coach in a foreign country, Zico explained that he will encounter some problems because “I may need to make adjustments. Of course, they aren’t my countrymen. So I need to develop myself.”
Shifting his attention to Nexplay EVOS’ performance during the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) PH Season 9, Zico admitted that he made a lot of mistakes just like everyone else in the team.
Nexplay EVOS surprised the fans with its dominant performance in the Sibol Qualifiers and the first few weeks of the MPL PH Season 9. However, the team could not keep its momentum going and eventually finished 5th-6th place after an early exit in the playoffs.
“We had a lot of problems, not only me, but also the players. That’s normal, everyone has problems, we all are carrying something that we can’t tell other people because we feel afraid,” he stated.
Zico apologized to the fans for the team's disappointing performance last season. “I want to say sorry to everyone that we disappointed last season. Our morale was really bad, the outcome was bad. If there is one to blame, of course it would be me since I’m the coach.”
Despite the upsetting performance, the former Nexplay EVOS coach expressed his gratitude towards the fans and those who supported and gave him the opportunity to lead the team.
“I just wanna say, thank you to all the voices of NXPE [Nexplat EVOS], especially to boss Dogie that saw my potential, trusted me and gave me a chance to do what’s on my mind. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him,” Zico said. “For the fans since the beginning, thank you. Thank you so much, Nexplay, Good luck in Season 10.”
Zico admitted that the team fell short under his management. However, he is confident that the players will be able to bounce back stronger in Season 10.
