Ajax star Levi de Weerd is one of the favourites to make it out of the eChampions League Knockout stage, with only a win against Manchester City's Matias Bonanno standing in his way.
We spoke to the talented FC prodigy about what he's done to prepare for the eChampions League, what it's like competing in London and much more.
What's your favourite part about competing in London, especially after having a great run during the FC Pro Open.
“It’s just really great to compete in London. Competing from home is fun, but sitting face-to-face in front of your opponent and competing against them is just an awesome experience."
Do you feel like there’s more or less pressure when competing without your family around?
“When I was 16-17 years old, I didn’t want my family and friends to come to the competition as it would make me more nervous. Now they’re at every competition that they’re able to make it too and they were at the eDivisie Finals.My dad came abroad with me as well when I went to compete in Riyadh.
“Now I don’t feel the pressure anymore. Now it motivates me because I know they’re watching from home. It’s not a problem for me so I don’t even think about it anymore."
What was it like competing in the eDivisie Finals?
“The main thing was qualifying for the eChampions League and FC Pro 24 World Championship, but we already did that when I competed in the FC Pro Open.
“It was really important to me to become the champion of the Netherlands again because I wasn’t able to watch it last year. You always want to be the champion of your country and that was my goal.
“Obviously, Paulo played the last game and I’m really not sure how the game went to penalties. I couldn’t even watch the penalty shootout. I don’t get nervous when I’m playing, but I do get nervous when I watch other people play."
How have you prepared for the eChampions League?
“We finished on the 31 March 2024, so we’ve had quite a long time between the eDivisie Finals and the eChampions League.
“I went on holiday straight after the eDivisie Finals, but it’s still a long time between competing as it could be six or seven weeks before I compete again. I won’t say it’s difficult, but I’m definitely looking forward to competing again."
What should fans look forward to when watching you compete?
“People enjoy my style of play because I try to be dominant. There’s a lot of high score lines in htis version of the game, so it’s fun for fans to watch. However, I try to dominate all areas of the game. I also love skill moves and adding a little bit of flair to my game.”
You said there’s been a lot of high score lines during FC competitions. Why do you think that’s the case and how have you evolved as a competitor?
“This year’s game was one of the toughest when it comes to defending. You see score-lines like 8-7 and you didn’t see that in previous years.
“It’s not that people have suddenly become bad at defending, it’s just a little bit easier to score and I think that’s an advantage to me because I think i’m one of the best defenders in the scene, so I’m not complaining."
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