Tsvetelin #CeRq Dimitrov has been removed from Evil Geniuses starting lineup, according to their announcement. This confirms rumors that the Bulgarian sharpshooter had been pulled off of the team’s roster for the BLAST Premier Spring Groups.
Meanwhile, after his contract with #9z expires, Rafael #zakk Fernandes, 31, has stated on Twitter that he is open to considering new opportunities.
Cerq’s Run With EG
The Bulgarian, 23, has spent the last five years with the North American team, first playing for NRG for two years, then switching to Evil Geniuses in September 2019, where he played for the next three years of his career.
CeRq played a significant role in Evil Geniuses’ early success, helping them finish 2019 with two victories at ESL One New York and the eighth season of the StarSeries i-League. In official rankings of top 20 players of 2019, CeRq rose to the 18th position thanks to such efforts.
After 2020, his individual form drastically deteriorated; CeRq averaged a 0.99 rating in 2021 as a result of Evil Geniuses’ numerous roster changes and failure to find success on the global stage. Despite the Evil Geniuses lineup displaying promising prospects under the direction of CIS immigrant Sanzhar #neaLaN Iskhakov, his rating remained below 1.00 throughout 2022.
Currently, it is unknown who will take the position of the Bulgarian on the active roster. According to reports, Evil Geniuses has signed up seven players for their first tournament of 2022 at BLAST Premier Spring Groups.
Zakk’s Situation
Zakk joined 9z in March 2020, and during the online era, he assisted the group in winning several domestic championships. He also cheered them on as they defeated Isurus in the FiReLEAGUE 2021 LAN, and he served as their coach when they beat FURIA twice in the Roobet Cup to get to the playoffs.
The team’s run of successes enabled them to peak at No. 19 in the world rankings in August 2022, and ever since then, they have consistently been in the top 25. After a great run through the Americas RMR at the end of the year, 9z entered the IEM Rio Major Challengers Stage. He won matches against Imperial and Evil Geniuses in Brazil before leaving the Swiss stage with a 2-3 record.
Since Zakk is currently a free agent, several South American lineups might profit from his expertise. The 31-year-old had successful coaching stints with Luminosity and the Immortals team that finished second at PGL Major Krakow. Prior to that, he had a long playing career that began with CS: Source in 2008.
