FUT’s Krabeni on Transfer Offers: “We Knew Our Potential, So We All Turned Everything Down”

FUT’s Rise, Transfer Talks, and Team Unity

FUT’s recent run in competitive Counter-Strike has brought both attention and opportunities. The European team — composed of dem0n, lauNX, Krabeni, cmtry, and dziugss, with coolio as coach — currently sits ranked #22 in the HLTV World Ranking.

After starting the year at IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 with a first-round win over Legacy, FUT’s caller Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija spoke to HLTV about his role and why the team stuck together despite external interest.

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Turning Down Offers to Stay Together

Over the winter, multiple transfer offers emerged for FUT players and staff — including the coach — as rumors circulated about possible departures. Rather than break up, the entire core elected to stay:

“We were not sure if we were going to stay together because everyone in the team had good offers… but in the end, everyone just declined everything.”

Krabeni emphasized that the team’s shared experience over the last two to three years and belief in their collective capability were the main reasons they chose to compete as a unit rather than pursue other opportunities.

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Young Leadership and Team Atmosphere

At 20 years old, Krabeni is one of the younger in-game leaders at the tier-one level. He revealed that he was not originally planned to be the IGL — the role was a necessity when he joined NAVI Junior — but he quickly embraced it:

“Since then I started to like this role a lot, and I will never change it.”

He also highlighted the importance of having assistant support from coolio, who contributes to strategy, defaults, and decisions during matches, helping Krabeni grow in this demanding role.

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Aiming Higher: Tier-One Events and Future Goals

FUT’s rise — significantly boosted after picking up the NAVI Junior core last August — has led to appearances on major stages such as BLAST Bounty and IEM Kraków.

Krabeni noted that the team’s aim this season is clear:

• Compete in tier-one LAN events whenever possible.

• Continue climbing the VRS (Valve Ranking System).

• Try to secure invites to premier tournaments like PGL events, which they narrowly missed due to ranking points.

Despite playing many matches online earlier in the season and narrowly missing a PGL invite by 0.8 VRS points, FUT remains focused on gaining momentum and proving themselves against top competition.

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Context: IEM Kraków 2026

IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 is an early arena event in the ESL Pro Tour calendar — a key opportunity for teams outside the top seeding to push into Stage 2.

FUT’s win against Legacy (2–0) at this event demonstrated potential and kept their bracket hopes alive.

Their next scheduled match could be against established tier-one sides like G2 or Liquid, highlighting the challenge ahead but also the competitive stage the team has earned.

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Summary: After rejecting transfer offers, FUT’s young core — guided by third-party support and shared ambition — chose continuity over individual moves. With a growing ranking, tier-one invites, and tournament experience, Krabeni’s squad is aiming to capitalize on collective potential in 2026.