NFL fans mistakenly think Ted Lasso’s Zava is Aaron Rodgers

NFL fans watching Ted Lasso think the new character of Zava is based on Aaron Rodgers. The similarities may be there but he’s not the obvious inspiration.

Apple TV’s Ted Lasso has captured the imaginations of sports fans around the world whether they love soccer (or football) or not. It’s fairly universal.

The Roy Kent-type player is familiar regardless of sport. We can all recognize the talented-but-vapid primadonna of Jamie Tartt.

So it kind of makes sense that references to specific athletes might get interpreted in different ways by different fanbases.

Just take Zava.

Zava was introduced in the third season of the hit show. Played by Maximilian Osinski, Zava is a living legend whose ability on the field is matched only by his singular personality off of it. He’s weird. He’s zen. He’s self-centered.

He is….Aaron Rodgers?

NFL fans have been talking for weeks about Zava reminding them of Rodgers, whose darkness retreat this offseason feels exactly like something the character would absolutely be in to.

But it’s also pretty clear that the athlete with the greatest inspiration for Zava is not Rodgers.

Is Zava based on Aaron Rodgers? Who is Zava inspired by?

Zava is Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Osinski told USA Today that in portraying Zava he looks to embody the “egos and energies” of players like Eric Cantona and Robert Lewandowski but that Zlatan is a primary inspiration.

“I read his book ‘I Am Football,’ watched documentaries, and I just admire Zlatan so much more now, how he was raised, what people said about him, how he carries himself,” the actor said.

Zlatan is a Swedish-born soccer player who has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world from Juventus and Inter Milan to Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. He’s been with AC Milan since 2019 after a two year stint in the MLS with the LA Galaxy.

At 6-foot-5, Zlatan’s stature set him apart on the soccer pitch, along with his acrobatic ability as a striker. He is considered one of the best of his generation, making the UEFA Team of the Year four times.

But he’s also gained notoriety for some personality quirks. He has a habit of referring to himself in the third person, just like Ted Lasso’s Zava. His ego has also gotten him into trouble more than once, along with some anger issues. That’s something to keep an eye on if the show decides to go full Zlatan with Zava.