JTR takes over as FOKUS head coach after kuben benching
FOKUS appointed Ricardo “JTR” Júnior as head coach on September 24, hours after moving Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński to the bench. The five-player lineup remains intact: JTR is taking over a team that changed two players during the summer and has since produced mixed results.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Team | FOKUS |
| Incoming coach | Ricardo “JTR” Júnior |
| Benched coach | Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński |
| Previous position | FlyQuest assistant coach |
| Announcement | September 24, 2026 |
| In-game leader | Erik “ztr” Gustafsson |
| Next listed match | FOKUS vs. SPARTA, NODWIN Clutch Series 12 |
A coaching change after seven months
Kuben had led FOKUS since the German organization entered Counter-Strike in February with an international roster. In announcing his benching, FOKUS said it had chosen to “move forward with a new direction for the team.” The organization did not publicly give a more specific reason or announce that kuben had been released. JTR’s appointment followed later the same day.
JTR arrives after two years on FlyQuest’s coaching staff, primarily as an assistant. He briefly served as the team’s head coach at BLAST Open London 2025. Earlier, he led Nigma Galaxy’s women’s roster through a run of ESL Impact titles, then coached ODDIK in Brazil. FOKUS gives him a permanent head-coaching role with a European men’s lineup.
FOKUS’s active lineup is:
| Player | Confirmed role or status |
|---|---|
| Erik “ztr” Gustafsson | In-game leader; loan extended in July |
| Matias “Banjo” Kivistö | Player |
| Mateo “Matheos” Prišlin | Player |
| Paavo “podi” Heiskanen | Player; joined in July |
| Jacob “jocab” Nerheden | Player; joined in July |
| Ricardo “JTR” Júnior | Head coach |
| Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński | Benched coach |
What JTR inherits
FOKUS had already reshaped the playing roster before changing coaches. Georgi “Jorko” Mitev left for Liquid in July, while Sebastian “volt” Maloș moved to INFINITE. Podi and jocab joined, and FOKUS extended ztr’s loan. The coaching switch therefore comes roughly two months after the new five began playing together, rather than at the start of a full player rebuild.
There have been signs of the lineup’s potential. FOKUS beat Aurora 2–1 at BLAST Bounty in July before losing 0–2 to MOUZ. In September’s Thunderpick World Championship closed qualifier, they defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas and 1win, then lost 1–2 to Virtus.pro. Their latest LAN, Stake Pulse Beat II, ended in 9th–12th place: a 2–0 opening win over Sashi was followed by defeats to Astralis and Sangal.
HLTV lists FOKUS at a 45.8% match win rate over the past three months. That figure captures the uneven results, but it does not establish why kuben was benched. FOKUS has publicly described the decision only as a change of direction.
Why the appointment matters
JTR’s immediate task is to work with a settled five rather than integrate another signing. Ztr remains the in-game leader, so the visible change is in coaching leadership and preparation. How JTR and ztr divide their work, and whether FOKUS alter their map approach or player responsibilities, will become clearer through matches; no specific tactical overhaul has been announced.
The next listed test is FOKUS’s NODWIN Clutch Series 12 playoff match against SPARTA. It offers an early look at the team under JTR, although a single series will say little about the longer-term effect of a coaching appointment. FOKUS are also signed up for ROG Journey Autumn in Sweden.
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