Electronic Arts SportsThe EA Sports logo
Share

PlayStation Players to Watch - Berlin FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship

Posted May 15th at 5:00pm.

Berlin Ultimate Team Championship Players To Watch (PlayStation 4 Division)

After 6 months of competition spanning the globe, both online and at six live events, it all comes down to two final days of competition. Thirty-two FIFA players from around the world have earned a chance to face-off at the Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin on May 19 and 20 to see who can perform on the big stage and determine who is the best of the best.

With a roster of talented players, all with something to prove, who win a piece of the $400,000 USD cash prize, including $160,000 to the Ultimate Champion, and be named the best FIFA player in the world?

Here are five players to keep an eye on in Berlin:

Daniele “Prinsipe” Paolucci

Daniele “Prinsipe” Paolucci made history in the Season 2 Europe Regional Final in Madrid. The Italian player became the first competitor coming from the PlayStation 4 division to lift the Regional Champion title, ending the dominance that the Xbox One competitors had exhibited in the first five Regional Finals.

Prinsipe's path to the PlayStation 4 divisional title was marked by domination. After topping his group with two wins and one draw, Prinsipe cruised through the knockout stages remaining unbeaten in seven matches with an lethal combination of high-scoring and defensively solid football.

Coming from relative obscurity on the FIFA competitive scene, the Italian arrived to Madrid to compete in the first major tournament of his young career and made a bold statement by beating tournament favourite Spencer “Gorilla” Ealing in the Grand Final.

With the Regional title in his trophy cabinet, Prinsipe is now a recognizable figure on the circuit. Will he be able to continue shocking the FIFA community and win it all at the Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin?

Cihan "S04_Cihan" Yasarlar

A strong qualification campaign back in November of 2016 saw Cihan” Yasarlar ease into the third spot of the Weekend League with a record of 153 wins and only 7 losses, securing his ticket to the 2017 Season 1 Regional Final in Paris.

In the City of Lights, the Berlin native put together a strong performance, cruising through the group stages with 3 wins, and conceding just one goal. This performance wasn’t unexpected from a competitor who made his competitive debut at the Virtuelle Bundesliga Finals in 2015, and is one of a three-player team that started FC Schalke 04's FIFA eSports squad. His dominance at the regionals continued through the knockout stages, where he racked up even more wins, including the Divisional Final title against Timo “TimoX” Siep. 

Then, in the Grand Final, Cihan took an lead early in the match against Tassal “Hashtag Tass” Rushan. But the Hashtag United player stormed back and stole the regional title from Cihan's grasp. Now, with home advantage and a chip on his shoulder, the Schalke04 eSports player will go into the FIFA Ultimate Championship in Berlin with his eyes on the trophy.

Abdulaziz “MrD0ne” Alshehri

Abdulaziz “MrD0ne” Alshehri boasts one of the most impressive resumés in his region. Alshehri is a FIFA World Champion, a four-time Saudi Arabia Champion, a three-time Middle East Champion, and a one-time Asia Champion. He added to his sterling reputation with a masterful performance in Sydney at the 2017 Rest of World Season 1 Regional Final in February. 

The Jeddah native advanced to the Grand Final after dusting the competition in the PlayStation division. Ultimately he fell just short, losing the to countryman Khalid “xX ThE RoYaL Xx” Aloufi in a spirited clash. But MrD0ne will be in Berlin where he is hoping to take his career one step further when he competes in the Ultimate Team Championship Series Final.

Benedikt "BenediktSaltzer" Saltzer

With ample experience and a strong performance of 153 wins that slotted him in fourth place in the November 2016 qualifying leaderboards, Benedikt “BenediktSaltzer” Saltzer was one of the heavy favorites to claim the Regional Finals title in Paris. The Gernsheim native didn’t disappoint, finishing first in his group with 2 wins and 1 loss. From there, the experienced player was able to reach the lower bracket semifinal, placing fourth. 

Coming into Berlin for the FIFA Ultimate Championship, he will try to add another title to his already brilliant career, which started in 2009. A four-time German champion, BenediktSaltzer has been a household name within FIFA competitive circles, but he gained an increased relevance when he became the first-ever FIFA player to sign a contract with a major club, VfL Wolfsburg. The bold move by the German club opened the floodgates, and other clubs worldwide have followed suit.

Christopher “NYC_Chris” Holly

It ended in heartbreak for Christopher “NYC_Chris” Holly in Miami at the Season 1 Regional Final. He was only one win away from booking his spot in Berlin, but it wasn't meant to be after finishing fourth in the PlayStation 4 division. 

He didn't bow his head however, and continued to put in the work required to elevate his game. Those efforts paid off even before a ball was kicked in Whistler for the Season 2 Regional Finals. He signed a contract with MLS club New York City FC, becoming the first professional to ink an eSports deal for a club in the North American soccer league. 

He backed up that accomplishment with an incredible run in the mountains of Whistler. After falling to Reinhard “rein10” Krause in the PlayStation 4 semifinals he rebounded to make it all the way back to the divisional final where he would meet Krause again.

He had to win twice to advance to the Grand Final and he did just that. Holly made history in the process after being the first competitor in the Ultimate Team Championship Series to ever win the divisional title coming from the lower bracket.

Though he fell in the grand final, it was an incredibly successful tournament for Holly and now he'll compete in Berlin alongside the world's best.

You can watch all the tournament coverage live from Berlin on May 19 at 12:00 p.m and May 20 at 11 a.m. on FUTChampions.com/Live or in our Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook channels.

You can also catch our extended coverage including exclusive, behind-the-scenes content live from the venue on our FIFA social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.