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Fnatic, one of the world’s biggest esports organizations, announced Monday that it would enter into a partnership with Italian football club, AS Roma, to introduce the club's first professional team to FIFA's growing esports league.
"FIFA's entry into the world of esports has received the attention of many organizations both from established football clubs and esports organizations," said Wouter Sleijffers, Fnatic’s CEO.
"Fnatic is excited to enter this rising esports game with AS Roma, one of the most iconic clubs in football with a long and successful history."
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with @OfficialASRoma and unveil our @EASPORTSFIFA division!
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) February 14, 2017
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The roster for Roma’s team, powered by Fnatic, includes Sam "Poacher" Carmody, who we recently saw in the Paris regional finals of the FUT Championship series. Also included are Aman "Aman" Seddiqi and Nicoló "Insa" Mirra with Manager Colin Johnson.
With this collaboration, the players listed above will represent Roma in future competitive matches and upcoming FIFA competitions. According to the official press release, “Fnatic will manage the team and offer support for training, events and provide all esports-related logistical knowledge to nurture them.”
"As one of the most digitally-connected sports teams in the world, we've strived to create an organisation at Roma that engages our fans through all digital channels," said Jim Pallotta, President of AS Roma. "With the tremendous growth of eSports and continued attention placed on games like FIFA, we've partnered with Fnatic, the world's leading eSports organisation, to launch our eSports team. This joint venture will enable us to start building a strong legacy in eSports and engage our fans in exciting new ways."
"We're thrilled and honoured to work alongside AS Roma by helping the club take its first steps into a new, digital chapter in its rich and storied legacy," Sleijffers said. "Whether on the grass or in-game, we share the same ambition: be among the top in the world."
Fnatic houses professional teams in the World’s most popular games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, among others. This marks the first time they will field a FIFA team.