The star-studded coach was back in the tournament spotlight, at least for a little while.
It’s been a while since we last saw Team Falcons’ Ducky on the big stage, but he’s recently made an appearance with their MENA team in the MSC 2025 Wild Card.
As a two-time world champion coach, it made sense that they’d tap into him to help with the still-developing team. However, Francis “Ducky” Glindro wasn’t just sitting back and relaxing during the time he was away from the spotlight.
“When I was contacted by Falcons [to coach the MENA team], I was focusing on building the organization’s footprint in Asia,” Team Falcons’ Ducky. “So I’ve had a lot of meetings with management.”
From having to manage a team’s brand to being suddenly thrust back into coaching, it couldn’t have been easy. But the veteran coach has been managing it the best he can. “I’ve been eating a lot,” said Ducky with a laugh. “It’s been quite stressful, but I’m glad to be back.”
Of course, Ducky has been out of coaching for roughly half the year. One would wonder if having an extended break would have an effect on his skills, but for him, it has its pros and cons.
“I think there is value in taking a long rest, but two things can be true at the same time,” said Team Falcons’ Ducky. “There is some degrading, if that’s the best word for it, but overall,l you gain a different insight with coaching when you try to live your life.”
Some Culture Shock
Unfortunately, Ducky wasn’t able to turn the MENA team’s fortunes around this MSC. They had a disappointing exit to the tournament, going 0-2 in the Wild Card with a brief spark of hope against China’s Rare Atom.
“With this team, it was a totally different culture. It was a big culture shock for me on how they approach things. I was hoping for a little more time with them, and we probably would have gotten a different result.”
Still, the work continues for Ducky, and he’s already thinking about what’s next for Team Falcons. He says that he won’t be doing something as direct as coaching, but he’ll definitely be supporting the team in the background.
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.