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Interview

Lucasdinho, e-sports maestro

19 avril 2020, 20h23

Lucas Assouline, also known as Lucasdinho and winner of the first two editions of the #TournoiMonGymMaFamille on FIFA 20 sat down to speak to OGCNICE.com. The Niçois who is more used to expressing himself with the controller in hand, who was a finalist in the e-Ligue 1 where he represents OGC Nice, discussed his career, his latest news, the club of his heart and of course, his matches against his favourite footballers.

Lucas, first of all, can you introduce yourself?
I am Lucas Assouline and I am 21 years old. I was born in Nice but live in Toulon. Last year, I passed my degree with a specialism in Digital Marketing at Kedge. This year, I was due to do a Masters in Sports Management but I couldn’t find an internship, so I decided to take a sabbatical. In September, I will start the next stage of my studies with this Masters.

During the current lockdown, OGC Nice has organised the #TournoiMonGymMaFamille on FIFA 20 and you took home the title in on two occasions…
It’s a great idea from the club and it’s a really nice tournament to take part in. It brings the supporters closer to the players. Personally, I am really happy to see the club invest in e-sports. Both tournaments have been a really cool experience. And of course, I am happy to have been able to win these first two editions. These kind of initiatives are coherent with what OGC Nice does throughout the year and the club is doing even more at the moment. The fact that they are giving free access to the Mèfi Club, making these donations, helping people who are in need, it’s a really good thing to be doing during this difficult period.

« Andy Pelmard is very good on FIFA »


The tournament is also an opportunity to play against current and former Aiglons...
It’s always special to meet them, and especially in what is my domain. These are players that we support every weekend and it’s brilliant to be able to play them on FIFA.
I played against Ignatius Ganago and Andy Pelmard, and the latter gave me a really good game. He is very good on FIFA and does some things that aren’t far off what the professionals do.
In the past, I have played against Neal Maupay, and I now play with him regularly. He is strong on FIFA, so we speak regularly and we often practice against each other. He has a good level and he showed that on Wednesday during the fourth edition of the #TournoiMonGymMaFamille (Neal Maupay reached the Round of 16).

So who is the best Aiglon or former Aiglon that you have played on FIFA?
I would say that it’s between Pelmard and Maupay. Both are really good on FIFA and caused me problems. Ganago a little less so (laughs). But he doesn’t play that often so he can be forgiven for doing less well in the tournament (Round of 32 in the first tournament).

Before the tournament, you had already experienced a special moment with the Regional Final of the e-Ligue 1 at the Allianz Riviera.
To be able to play in the final at the stadium, I first needed to win my final online. It was a real relief for me, a real delight. I visited the Allianz and it was my first time on the pitch, an incredible opportunity for an OGC Nice supporter. But I have to say that I felt quite a bit of pressure.

Thanks to your win, you will now play in the national final of the e-Ligue 1, with your OGC Nice shirt on your back!
Exactly! The players start with online qualification and represent the club of their choice. I chose Le Gym because I have always supported the club. Given that I am now living in Toulon, I rarely make it to the stadium but I have some excellent memories of the Stade du Ray. I remember my first match which was Nice-Bordeaux, it wasn’t a classic but I have fond memories. The current break in matches is difficult and I can’t wait to be able to watch OGC Nice’s next match.

 

 

 

“A team entirely made up of current or former Aiglons”

 

Are there Nice players that you use in your team on FIFA 20?
Lots this year. I often pick Youcef Atal, Wylan Cyprien and Malang Sarr. Atal is very good on FIFA 20 and I used him in my first competitions.
I had a bit of fun and picked a team entirely made up of current and former OGC Nice players. And I have to admit, it was a solid team, with Lloris, Ricardo, Herelle, Sarr, Kolo’, Coach Vieira, Cyprien, Saint-Maximin, Myziane and Dolberg.

How do you become a FIFA player?
The biggest FIFA tournaments take place online, so you have to take part and be successful in these competitions in order to qualify for the leagues. The e-Ligue 1 is also an excellent way to build your name on a national level and to start to pick up experience.
Contrary to what you might think, we don’t play a huge amount of the game. A player tends to train for around 2 hours per day. Aside from FIFA, I play ‘real’ football to keep in shape.

Are you training more than usual in this period of lockdown?
You could think that it’s FIFA all day long, but no. Of course this period has given us a chance to train, but at the same time, the season is suspended. We don’t know when it will get back underway and we don’t know when the final of the e-Ligue 1 will take place. Like with lots of things at the moment, we are waiting to see. .. So at the moment, I play FIFA, but also other games. I play with some professional FIFA players (Rocky, Cursorr…) on Valorant, Counter Strike or Rocket League.

“Becoming a professional FIFA player is a huge change”

When you were younger, when playing against friends, it couldn’t be easy to play you…
(He laughs) There is always someone there to tell you that they will beat you at FIFA and then, after one match, they quickly change their tune. Being modest, we know our level and we avoid playing each other, I mainly play against professionals online.
It’s quite recent that I have started to think about being a FIFA player. I played in national competitions and bit by bit, I started to qualify. In January, I was one of the top three French players in the qualifiers out of 500 players and you needed to win 5 out of 7 matches.

At the moment, you are not professional?
Not yet, but since January/February, I have been focusing on that. To begin with, I was working so I didn’t have much time. Next season, I have the chance to turn pro. But there is still a lot of uncertainty linked to the current situation and the suspension of all tournaments. If I manage to do so, it will be a huge change for me, even though I would like to continue my studies on the side. A professional player doesn’t necessarily train more but the difference is mainly at the launch of the game in September/October. A professional can spend more time on it at that time and get a head start on others.

To finish, could you give a tip to Le Gym’s supporters who would like to progress on FIFA?
A good way of improving is to watch streams of the professionals playing. That allows you to see what works well and what doesn’t. Especially, with certain moves or passes. And then, of course, you always have to work to progress, like in every domain.

M.S.

How to sign up for the next #MonGymMaFamille FIFA 20 tournament?

The next tournament will take place on Wednesday 22 April from 4pm. To take part, you need to sign up by 8pm on Tuesday.

Click here to sign up!

Lucasdinho, who took home the first two editions will be back in action. Alexy Bosetti will also be involved… 

As a reminder, the winner will have the opportunity to meet with the Aiglon of their choice when life gets back to normal at the training ground. If the winner is based overseas, a signed shirt will be heading their way.

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