Promising rookie jungler Francisco ‘Thayger’ Mazo Sánchez has been eliminated from the LEC after playing for just three weeks.
The Spaniard was given a chance to play in EMEA’s top tier of League of Legends competition by Natus Vincere (NAVI).
However, Thayger was hardly given a chance to show the best version of himself as the team are already eliminated.
After losing three straight series, NAVI sit bottom of the LEC and cannot qualify for the Summer Playoffs. Their year is over.
Thayger had established himself as a clear talent after reaching Rank 1 on EUW and helping Barcelona to the EMEA Masters final.
Yet, Thayger has not performed well at all and has clearly struggled with the step up into the LEC.
However, he was put in an almost impossible position.
NAVI just joined the league this split, acquiring the slot and the majority of the roster from bottom-place Rogue.
Thayger was thrust onto the struggling roster, which was never favoured by LoL betting sites to do well.
It was never going to be easy for the rookie to magically change the team’s fortunes around in such a short space of time.
Let alone the fact that Thayger knew he was going to be replaced next year.
Simultaneously, NAVI signed the very young and highly promising rookie jungler, Enes ‘Rhilech’ Uçan, for 2026.
Because of this, Thayger was competing knowing that NAVI planned on replacing him before he even played.
Thayger told Sheep Esports that he didn’t know about Rhilech replacing him when he joined:
“I wasn’t told about the Rhilech situation when I signed with NAVI.
“As far as I know, he’ll be taking my spot next year regardless, so it’s a bit of a weird situation to be in now.”
Is the treatment of rookies destroying the LEC’s Worlds hopes?
It has been a difficult season for EMEA as LEC teams have struggled internationally.
After a poor showing from G2 Esports and Movistar KOI, ENUK questioned was MSI a new low for LEC teams?
And part of the reason the region has been on a downward spiral is this poor treatment of rookies.
Undeniably, many LEC teams have treated rookies as disposable.
They have promoted young players, hoping to find the next Caps or Faker who will magically earn them more wins.
Consequently, when that doesn’t work, the players are dumped back into the regional leagues.
And then they are rarely given another shot, automatically judged to not be good enough.
This one month of competing in the LEC in terrible conditions could ruin Thayger’s career.
In my seven years of esports writing, I’ve introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I’m most proud of the latter.