Alejandro Parejo, also known as Mapache in the League of Legends community, is Barça eSports League of Legends team coach. 

Mapache finished his degree in sports science and started teaching. In 2016, he got the opportunity to become an esports team analyst. From that moment, Alejandro fell in love with the industry and had different positions in several teams.
After working for some of the most competitive teams in Europe, Mapache arrived at FC Barcelona to lead Barça eSports new League of Legends team. The team’s first year has brought good results, making it to playoffs against well established teams in Spain.

How does a regular day look for an esports coach?

A regular day for an esports coach is very intense. I wake up very early and try to have some time for myself. Going to the gym, eating breakfast, and reading. Then I come early to the office, and spend time preparing for the day. We start working at 11-12 when all the players arrive. We spend the whole day in the training centre and I do some talks with players and coaches at night. After that, we finish the day and go to sleep.

Who are the main players in esports

I think most of the people would say that developers are the main actors. Also, the sponsors are really important in the industry. I would say fans are really, really important because we are not here because we are good playing video games, we are here because there are people who like us and want to watch us, so I would say fans are the main actors. Developers, sponsors, teams and players are key as well.

Now that esports are known worldwide, what is the next step for the industry?

I think now that esports is already known, it can open the gates to people from business, sports and other industries to grow up and become more professional.

What challenges are there to achieving the next goals?

We just started in January, we already have shown good performance in two different splits. I would say the next steps for us is to settle down all the values, all the infrastructure we already have to make sure we are consistent in the results, and we are doing well along all the competition.

Do you think more TV channels will buy broadcasting rights for esports?

Nowadays, there are already big TV’s showing some esports competitions. It doesn’t matter if esports are bought by TV because I think the future is online, not on big TV. I think everything is shifting towards online viewing. TV’s have a lot to do, and one of the steps could be to buy some competition’s rights.

Which aspects of the industry need more specialization?

If you ask me what aspects of the industry need to be professionalized, I would say everything. What we are showing on camera is not what we are experiencing during the whole day. I think every single part of the industry needs more professionalization. That’s why I’m very happy to open the gates to more people, to become more competitive and to realize that we need to do more and better.

Would you have studied an esports degree or course if they had been available when you started?

My case is very special. I wasn’t looking for becoming an esports coach. It was a lovely accident to come here. If there is training for future coaches, I’m sure it’s going to be so much better, more professional compare to nowadays. How we are growing and doing in the industry… we are missing the training.

Develop a career in esports

Esports broke into the mainstream media a few years ago, leaving people not familiarized with competitive gaming wondering what this new tournaments were all about. Nowadays, it is considered one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world.
Even though esports’ popularity is through the roof, many don’t seem to know the job opportunities this industry has to offer. At FC Barcelona, you can get access to education specialized in esports. If you need an introduction to the world of competitive video games and the possibilities it has to offer, ​​Introduction to Esports: why you could fall for Esports? is the perfect course. If you already know you want to pursue a career in esports, our Executive Program in Esport Management, done in collaboration with High Tech Institute, will give you all the necessary tools and knowledge to make esports your profession.