Polish thread in the series “Ted Lasso”. This character is based on a real soccer player

Ted Lasso is an American football coach who, due to the turmoil of life, decides to take a job in the English Premier League. He becomes the coach of FC Richmond and is played (phenomenally) by Jason Sudeikis. Apple TV+ is currently airing its third season, which is expected to be its last, and the team is joined by a real star – the enigmatic Zava. “When I got the role, the creators described him as a mix of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Cantona,” actor Maximilian Osinski told GQ. He admitted that in preparation for going on set, he had to take soccer lessons, which he had not played before, and also read I, Football by Ibrahimovic. He was also inspired by a Polish footballer.

Zava like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but also a bit like Robert Lewandowski

“Robert Lewandowski was another guy I looked up to in a way. I quickly learned that how they present themselves to the press is not who they are in the locker room with their teammates or in their personal lives. You get the impression that these guys know what the press wants and the press is using them as much as they are using the press,” he told GQ. – I never saw them as bad guys or villains. One of the things I’ve noticed with these great personalities, especially with Zlatan, is that they say something really cocky, but then they wink or smile. You get the sense that they mean what they’re saying at the moment, but they also have charm.”

Perhaps Lewandowski came into this story because of Osinski’s roots. Although the actor has American citizenship, he writes about himself on Instagram: “Human being: LA via NYC via Chi via Austria via Poland currently in UK”. His parents are Polish, even in his text Medium describes him as an “American-Polish actor”. Maximilian was born in a migrant camp when his parents decided to immigrate to the United States in the mid-1980s. In an interview with Edvard Sylvan Osinski:

Both my parents come from Szczecin, Poland. They escaped from communism in the winter of 1983 when my mother was pregnant with me. They had to pretend they didn’t know each other because couples were not allowed to leave the country. They arrived at the Eisenstadt refugee camp in Austria in November this year, and I was born there in April [następnego roku – red.]. They stayed there, waiting to enter the US. When I was two months old, they finally reached the United States and settled in Chicago, which at the time had a large Polish American population.

Previously, it was possible to see in Marvel’s “Agenda TARCZY” or a supporting role in the film “Love and other drugs”. “Ted Lasso” is undoubtedly an important step in his career – the production for each of the seasons so far has been awarded an Emmy, there is a high probability that the last series will also be awarded. Osinski doesn’t say much in it yet, but that’s the nature of his character – he is a great football star who intimidates teammates and coaches, exuding an aura of mystery and spirituality around him. Before one of the matches, in the third episode of the series, Osinski sits on the bench in the locker room and, concentrating, repeats the words of the mantra in POLISH: “The eagle always flies…”.

Talking to Ibrahimovic is like talking to God. “I hope he enjoys ‘Ted Lasso'”

Thanks to the series, the Swedish footballer of Bosnian and Croatian origin, who is currently a player of the AC Milan club, has found himself in the interest of not only football fans. The latter have known Zlatan Ibrahimovic for years – he is the record holder in terms of the number of appearances and goals in the Swedish national team, where he has been playing since 2001. A great personality, he is one of the top ten goalscorers of all time in the Champions League. He can be aggressive on the pitch (e.g. in 2018 he was sent off for hitting Michael Petrass in the head), arrogant, his statements can be brash. After signing a contract with Paris Saint Germain in 2012, he said, for example, that he had trouble finding accommodation – but of a completely different kind than ordinary people. – We are looking for an apartment. If I don’t find a suitable one, I’ll probably buy a hotel, he blurted out. Four years later, he said goodbye to France by tweeting: “I came as a king, I left as a legend.” Strong words, but you have to admit that who like who, he earned it to be able to say that.

During one of the interviews, there was also a memorable exchange: Zlatan: “Only God knows who will go on.” Journalist: “It will be difficult to ask him a question.” Zlatan: “You’re talking to him right now.” In 2018, when he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy, Ibrahimovic took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times. The message was simple, with the club’s logo and player’s name on the white side, and a short “Dear Los Angeles, you’re welcome.” When asked about good players playing in the league in the same position as him, he did not name himself. When asked why, he replied, “Lions don’t compare to humans.”

Also classic is the quote about his wife and birthday present. When asked what he would buy her, the footballer replied with a smile on his lips: I won’t buy her anything. He already has Zlatan.

– I don’t know who you mean, I’ve never heard of him – Brendan Hunt, when asked by a Swedish journalist about the similarity between Zava and Zlatan. The actor, who plays Coach Beard’s “Ted Lasso”, became interested in football while playing FIFA in the Netherlands, then hooked Jason Sudeikis to the sport and together they created a series set (sic) on a football field. “I was living in Amsterdam when Zlatan made his Ajax debut and I had the opportunity to watch him play a bit. Even though he wasn’t quite the “Zlaten-philosopher” he had become at the time, he already stood out. Zava is the epitome of a lot of footballers, superman/diva type, but we get the most pleasure from Zlatan, he’s amazing. We’re not making fun of him, I love him, I hope he enjoys our show.”