The football team of Schalke 04 has officially been relegated from the Bundesliga. This could already have a negative impact on the e-sports team in League of Legends. Because in LoL, Schalke is now selling one of the best players: midlaner Felix “Abbedagge” Braun (21) is considered a great talent.
This is the sale: Schalke announced on April 19 that Felix “Abbedagge” Braun is leaving the team. As is known, he is moving to the USA to “100 Thieves”. They finished 4th in the spring season and apparently had a need in the midlane.
The 100 Thieves have not yet made a big name for themselves in sports, but they are nevertheless well-established as an e-sports clan. The team’s leader, Matthew “Nateshot” Haag, is himself a well-known streamer, and 100 Thieves has several strong content creators under contract, who bring money and prestige, such as Valkyrae or CourageJD.
The 21-year-old German mid-laner had been with Schalke since 2018 and had developed well in the last 2 to 3 seasons after appearing somewhat overwhelmed at the start of his career.
According to Bild newspaper, Schalke received one million euros for the transfer.
Schalke has performed well in the LEC this year and finished in 4th place. Since the European league is considered significantly better than the American one, the move to 100 Thieves is not really an advancement for Abbedagge, although he will probably earn more in the USA.
The move to the USA was made possible because a player from 100 Thieves received his green card, freeing up a “foreign player spot” for a foreigner.
The move to the USA poses a risk for Europeans; many great European talents have failed in the USA. Recently, for example, Kobbe, who said he “sacrificed his life” for the transfer.
Is Schalke now selling the LoL team and the spot in the LEC?
What’s behind it: It is known that Schalke’s relegation from the Bundesliga could also impact the LoL team. Apparently, they need money.
In February 2021, there was even talk that Schalke could sell its spot in the LEC pro league if it were necessary to strengthen the “core business football.” There was no decision made yet, but it was said to be within the realm of possibility at that time from Schalke.
In February, Schalke’s relegation from the Bundesliga was a nightmare scenario; now it is reality.
“Best decision for the overall club”
It is quite possible that the sale of the talented Abbedagge is already a step towards a “cheaper future” for Schalke’s e-sports. The fact that they do not want to replace the 21-year-old with a transfer but with an academy player speaks for this.
The precarious situation in football is likely the decisive factor for the sale of the LoL player. As the gaming head of Schalke says, selling the LoL player was the best decision for the “overall club” – it is not just about the perspective in e-sports.
The “one million euro” transfer fee is certainly peanuts compared to the sums paid for footballers. However, one could cynically ask whether Schalke’s LoL roster might actually be more valuable than the football roster, as some players from Schalke have probably destroyed their market value with their performances in the Bundesliga in recent months.
Not only Schalke is plagued by financial problems, the currently strongest team in the world apparently cannot pay its stars enough to keep them:
LoL has a real super team again – but fans fear a sellout to China
