Vitality Announces Salah Barakat as Head Coach for VALORANT Team
Vitality has appointed Salah Barakat as the head coach of their VALORANT team for the upcoming 2023 VCT season. Barakat, a coaching veteran, joins the French side as they embark on their inaugural season as a partner with Riot.
Building a strong foundation for success, Vitality aims to structure their team around Barakat’s leadership. This approach has proven effective for other organizations like XSET and The Guard in North America, who have seen increased success by focusing on a foundational coach. As a testament to this, Syyko from XSET has taken the same approach to the Sentinels camp, while mCe is rumored to be joining Cloud9 to coach their team.
Barakat’s goal, both for himself and Vitality, is to ensure that the team maintains constant communication and unity. He emphasized the importance of open and honest communication, as well as the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
“While it may be tough to hear criticism, it is crucial to communicate openly within a team environment,” said Barakat. “This way, we can quickly address any shortcomings and elevate our gameplay.”
Barakat brings a wealth of coaching experience from his time with teams such as FaZe Clan, Akrew, Fire Flux Esports, and most recently, OG LDN UTD.
Vitality has showcased a consistently high level of play in the VALORANT Regional League for France, Revolution. They claimed second place in Stage Two and represented the league at the VRL Finals. Although they narrowly missed out on the trophy with a 3-2 loss to FUT Esports from Turkey in the grand final, Vitality remains a formidable contender. Following their performance at the VRL Finals, the majority of their international roster has become available for offers.
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