Former KRÜ Esports coach Rodrigo “Onur” Dalmagro announced in a Twitlonger Sunday that he is being deported from Brazil for not providing an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination record. Onur is also no longer linked to the Brazilian team LOUD as a coach as the organization backed out of signing him after controversy arose around his tweets around the time of his flight and disappointment with the Brazilian government over its use of vaccine passports according to the Twitlonger.
“Loud tried to help me at all times, even when the deportation was already a fact. After the outbreak in social networks, for image reasons they decided to take another course of action that I understand and respect,” Onur said, according to a translation by Upcomer.
His comments online include saying “Freedom does not triumph” after stating he was about to be deported and expressing his resolve to not change his thinking, even if it losses him a job.
“Vaccines, especially in risk groups, are necessary and a good thing. Health passports no. I am willing to lose a job to be consistent with my thinking. I will not give in. They won’t break me,” Onur wrote on Twitter.
Las vacunas, sobre todo en grupos de riesgo, son necesarias y algo bueno. Los pasaportes sanitarios no. Estoy dispuesto a perder un trabajo para ser consistente con mi pensamiento. No voy a ceder. No me van a quebrar.
— Rodrigo Dalmagro (@onurthegreat) January 2, 2022
Those comments in particular took off online as Brazilian personalities and casters chastised the coach for his opinion on vaccine passports. His tweet about his willingness to lose a job over his belief has almost 500 quote retweets and over 2,500 likes at the time of publication.
“Enjoy that you’ll have free time and you’ll study a little,” wrote Brazilian caster Gustavo “Melão” Ruzza on Twitter in response to Onur’s comments.
aproveita que vai ter tempo livre e vai estudar um pouco
— Gustavo Melão (@melaogustavo) January 2, 2022
Onur is no longer linked to LOUD
Onur announced his departure from KRÜ Esports shortly after their semifinal run at VALORANT Champions. The Argentinian coach was a loud voice for the team and endeared himself to the community with his big personality and unexpected results with the Chilean organization.
He said he would be joining a Brazilian team for 2022 and later on ge.globo reported that Onur would coach LOUD, a Brazilian esports organization with teams in Free Fire, League of Legends and Fortnite. The organization has yet to officially announce their entrance into the scene, or confirm their roster.
According to the original report, Onur would have had the opportunity to coach a Loud roster consisting of Team Vikings core Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi and Matias “saadhak” Delipetro along with Brazilian players Felipe “Less” de Loyola, Erick “aspas” Santos and Bryan “pancada” Luna.
Onur was in advanced negotiations with LOUD but had not signed any legal papers, according to his Twitlonger. Onur claims he was told that he only needed a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel to enter Brazil, but shortly after landing learned of the counties new regulations which involve proof of vaccination for foreign visitors.
As for Onur’s philosophy around vaccination and other COVID-19 regulations, he cited the Great Barrington Declaration in his Twitlonger, an open letter arguing against lockdown policies. The letter has been condemned by scientists across the world and has been mocked online.
