Fnatic ONIC gains redemption with M6 crown

MANILA, Philippines — As Fnatic ONIC Philippines (FNOP) lifted the M6 trophy in front of a cheering crowd at the Axiata Arena in Malaysia, the moment held a deeper meaning for four team members.

For coaches Anthony "YnoT" Senedrin and Jeniel "YellyHaze" Bata-Anon, it was redemption for their M2 World Championship exit at the hands of Indonesian squad Alter Ego. The two were under Smart Omega and saw a good group stage run only to suffer double losses, which spelled the end of their journey on the world stage.

"Redemption namin sa naging M2 run namin three years ago. Parang fulfillment para sa sarili kasi nakabawi na rin kami ni Coach Tony tsaka sobrang proud sa team kasi narating namin ito,” Bata-Anon told Philstar.com after their win.

Senedrin echoed the statement, crediting his team for their dedication and hard work that eventually gave him and Bata-Anon the championship they missed out on previously.

He added, "I've been here since Season 4. I was a player in Seasons 4 and 5 then shifted as a coach. Lahat yan patong-patong yan. Yung pagod, it's compounding. It's all the more satisfying you're here with people that really deserve it, that work hard, the people who share the same collective goal kasi nandun na kami sa point na we might think it's for ourselves pero nandoon na kami sa point na it's bigger than just ourselves."

Former coach-turned-executive Denver "Yeb" Miranda was closer than Senedrin and Bata-Anon as he led his team, then ONIC Philippines, to the M3 Grand Finals by sweeping the upper brackets, only to stumble at the last hurdle against fellow all-Filipino team Blacklist International.

"Yung path doon sa playoffs similar [sa run ng FNOP). Ang difference lang is walang isa pang Pinoy. Ang isa lang sa mga sinabi ko — alaga lang sa mental fortitude [at] walang magpapakampante,” said Miranda.

The advice paid off as Fnatic ONIC Philippines did not suffer from the so-called upper bracket curse, taking the M6 trophy with a perfect 7-0 series run.

It was a redemption story that struck a chord with Fnatic ONIC Philippines' country manager Rafael Sanchez.

In a group interview with team and country managers back in 2022 when MPL Philippines celebrated its 10th season, Sanchez shared how it's the manager's job to handle everything else so that the players can just focus on one thing: winning.

“The biggest role the team managers [or the] country managers have is [we] do everything to the point that the only thing [the] players have to worry about is winning. That's it,” summarized Sanchez.

That was why it was hard for Sanchez when his team suffered a 0-4 sweep in the M3 World Championship.

He added, "I failed my players then. I promised [my players] I would make them champions and I couldn't deliver."

Heading into MPL Philippines Season 14, Sanchez felt that same spark when he first recruited the previous roster that competed in M3 with his current players.

"Back in Season 8, with that roster, honestly you could win any tournament but Blacklist was just so good at that time and it would only be so rare for ONIC then to find an opportunity like that. When I started getting these players for Season 14, it was the exact same feeling I had when I first talked to Coach Yeb, where no one really believed me. I remember at that time we were eight in the team, not including the players and the seven of them were saying don't get Coach Yeb because he got 0-13. But I was like, no he just needs to be in a good environment and make them better. It was the same feeling when I was getting Kirk, getting Brusko, getting SpiderMilez and getting coach Haze. I think I was just following my gut and I'm thankful it went the way it is now." shared Sanchez.

Fast forward to last Sunday as his players lifted the M6 World Championship, Sanchez felt redemption, fulfillment and overall joy as they finally captured the world trophy.

He added, "I'm happy that whatever we achieved now, it's not just me but it's an entire team thing. I'm happy that my team didn't give up on me."