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Fnatic part ways with head coach Youngbuck

Fnatic are parting ways with head coach Joey "Youngbuck" Steltenpool. Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games

Joey "Youngbuck" Steltenpool is no longer the head coach of League of Legends European Championship team Fnatic.

In a statement posted on the organization's website, Youngbuck expressed his disappointment over the 2019 season.

"We found ourselves quickly swamped by internal issues in spring that we could not overcome as players and coaching staff by the year's culmination," he said.

"2019 would have been an easy fix if this was the fault of an individual, but the problems became complex to where no solutions for our problems became clear in time. As a result of that, while ending 2018 as my best year, I'd consider 2019 as the worst in my esports journey.

"Leaving this season behind, I've decided to move on to another team and hope to remain a head coach at a professional level for many years to come."

Youngbuck is one of the most successful coaches in LEC history. Under his leadership, G2 Esports won four straight LEC titles. He joined Fnatic as team director in 2018, then became head coach this year.

At the recently completed 2019 League of Legends World Championship, Fnatic finished in fifth-eighth place after a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion FunPlus Phoenix.

"I want to thank everyone in Fnatic from the bottom of my heart for the past two years," he said. "Fnatic has been a place where I could develop myself and, together with the players and coaching staff, create results both years that I had only dreamt of before joining the."

Patrik "caRn" Sattermon, Fnatic's chief gaming officer, praised Youngbuck.

"It's been nothing but a pleasure to have worked with Joey over the course of the past two years, and I want to use this opportunity to thank him for his immense contribution, achievements and friendship," he said.

-- Field Level Media