Vitality has found its head coach for the immediate future in coaching journeyman Salah Barakat, who joins the French side ahead of the 2023 VCT season and the organization’s inaugural season as a partner with Riot in VALORANT.
The organization is still in the process of forming the roster of players that will compete next year, but it now has a foundation for the structure. Over the past year, particularly in NA, fans have seen that organizations that structure a team around a foundational coach, such as XSET’s Syyko and The Guard’s mCe, can find extended success. Syyko is now taking that approach to the Sentinels camp, while mCe is reportedly on his way to coach Cloud9.
A goal that Salah has set for both himself and Vitality is to make sure that the team is “all on the same page at all times,” according to the Vitality press release. Salah touted the importance of good communication and the ability to both take and receive constructive feedback.
“It’s never fun to have to listen to criticism, but I believe it’s important to communicate honestly and openly about this in a team environment,” Salah said in his signing announcement. “That way you can fix the shortcomings much faster and raise our level of play.”
Salah has coached around the world for teams such as FaZe Clan, Akrew, Fire Flux Esports, and, most recently, OG LDN UTD.
Vitality has retained a strong level of play over the past year in the VALORANT Regional League for France, Revolution. They finished second in Stage Two and represented the league at the VRL Finals, just narrowly missing out on the trophy after a 3-2 loss to Turkey’s FUT Esports in the grand final. Following the result at VRL Finals, Vitality made the majority of its international roster available to offers.
