Ajdin “Eyedin98” Islamovic is a pro FIFA player from Salzburg, Austria who made a name for himself in the Open Series with his daring and innovative play.

We caught up with the free agent to talk difficulties, losing, and his PlayStation Tournaments experience.

How did you get introduced to competitive gaming?

I played competitive regional tournaments in my city when they started back in FIFA 15 and won a lot of them. By the time FIFA 17 came out I started playing ESL tournaments online and was pretty good at it. It progressed and I got more into the esports scene and eventually started a Twitter account.

When did you realize you could play professionally?

In addition to the ESL tournaments, where I played people from all over Europe, I started doing really well in the Weekend League. In FIFA 18 there were German and Austrian championships. Those were my first really big tournaments. I didn’t get the best result but it was a big step and a great experience. I learned a lot from that.

By the time FIFA 19 came out I was much better and placed third at the Sony International Cup in Cologne/Gamescom. I also got first place in Austria with team Salzburg.

Why FIFA?

I played football in a football club since I was five years old. FIFA combines real football with video games. It’s a passion of mine. I’m also a very big fan of Barcelona and the premier League. I enjoy watching that.

What are some difficulties you’ve faced in your journey?

I seem to do better in offline events. When I go to a location to play in person I usually do well. But this year in the global EA Series you have to get into the top 64 in Europe to qualify for the playoffs. I was in there the whole year, but in the last qualifier I didn’t perform as well and dropped out of the top 64.

Why didn’t you perform well?

I ask myself that question a lot. It’s not the pressure. I love the pressure. I was maybe unlucky and maybe thinking about it too much.

How do you handle losing?

Nobody wants to lose. Of course it makes me angry when I lose because I know I’m better, but sometimes the game doesn’t want you to win. I want to learn from my mistakes and analyze what I’ve done wrong to do better in the next tournament.

If I lose too much I get away and go kick a football around to clear my head.

How do you like the Open Series?

It’s a good format and enjoyable. There are separate server games and the connections are good. That’s what I like the most. The Swiss format is maybe not the best format. Hopefully ESL will change it to a knockout stage.

What’s been the highlight of your Open Series experience?

I won three monthly tournaments. Two in FIFA 20 and one in FIFA 21. It was a highlight when PlayStation streamed it on YouTube and you could hear Richard Buckley and Brandon Smith commentating on the games. It was exciting to hear them talking about me, and I really love watching those highlights.

Thanks again to Eyedin98 for taking the time to chat! How will you make your own PlayStation highlights?