Team Liquid R6 coach mav suspended for abuse allegations

Olivia Richman Published 07/01/2021

Team Liquid has suspended Rainbow Six Siege coach Rafael “mav” Loureiro Freitas after he was accused of abusing a former girlfriend.

Screenshots were recently shared of texts between mav and his ex-girlfriend. Instances of physical abuse were mentioned throughout the conversations. Following the accusations, mav admitted that he did physically push his ex-girlfriend. He later deleted the tweet.

Soon after, Team Liquid posted a statement on the matter announcing that the coach was suspended.

“These are extremely serious and worrying claims. We want to assure the community, and the people who showed concern for what happened, that we are investigating carefully and that we suspend any and all work with mav until the investigation is completed,” Team Liquid stated.

According to the statement, the investigation is currently ongoing. After analyzing everything surrounding the accusations, the organization noted that they will post a further update once the investigation is complete.

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— Team Liquid BR ???????? (@TeamLiquidBR) January 6, 2021

Coach mav reached out to fans on Twitter following the suspension. On Twitter, mav said it was “wrong to push my ex,” or to push anyone in general. But he explained that people weren’t getting the entire story from the screenshots and accusations.

“I’ll always be canceled and have to read things about me being an ‘abuser’ when I pushed her away. Good night, everyone,” mav tweeted.

Gente, eu disse sim que errei em empurrar minha ex, não se deve empurrar NINGUÉM e ponto, mas não foi como retratado, mas claro que vou para sempre ser o cancelado e ter que ler coisas como abusador quando eu empurrei ela para se afastar, enfim boa noite a todos
— Liquid mav (@mavfps) January 6, 2021

Fans split on Liquid mav following accusations

A lot of fans came to mav’s side after hearing about the accusations. The coach is considered an important part of Brazil’s Rainbow Six Siege competitive scene. He played on FaZe Clan’s roster, competing in three Six Invitational events. This includes making it to the finals of Pro League Season 8. He joined Team Liquid recently, helping the team score a victory at the November LATAM Mini-Major event.

For his followers, a woman sharing screenshots describing the abuse was not enough. Some said they wouldn’t simply believe a story just because a woman had said she was made to feel afraid.

But not everyone was so quick to forgive the coach. Others condemned Team Liquid for taking so long to respond to such serious allegations, saying that the organization’s silence after the accusations spoke volumes about the team’s position on domestic violence.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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