Zava is a recurring character featured in the Apple TV+ show, Ted Lasso, a very popular International footballer, supposedly the greatest player, and a new addition to AFC Richmond. When he announced that he's leaving his club Juventus to join the Premier League in England, a lot of clubs immediately offered him to join them including Chelsea F.C., Arsenal F.C., Manchester United F.C., West Ham United F.C., and Richmond F.C.
World-Class Footballer[]
When Leslie Higgins is having a meeting with Trent Crimm in Rebecca Welton's office along with Ted Lasso and Keeley Jones, he announces that Zava is leaving Juventus, which shocked everyone. Ted doesn't know who he is, so Trent explains that Zava is a world-class striker who's about to leave his club in Italy. Higgins adds that Zava wants to play in the Premier League because his wife binged the TV series The Office and she wants to live in England. Ted mistakenly thought he's talking about the American version of The Office, but Rebecca corrects him and says it's the original The British Office.
Higgins exclaims that it would be amazing if Zava joined Richmond, and Keeley adds that he would be huge for the club's brand especially when he has 90 million followers on social media. Rebecca reminds everyone that Zava is very expensive and a bit of a diva, which Keeley doesn't deny, and Higgins adds that he has played for 14 teams in the last fifteen years, leaving behind chaos and trophies.
Rebecca doesn't want to deal with drama but Higgins says that all the clubs are now approaching Zava, including her ex-husband; the owner of West Ham United, Rupert Mannion. That prompt her to agree to pursue Zava, which Trent notices.
During the match between Richmond vs Chelsea, Zava makes an appearance and Rupert is also there, trying to charm the footballer to join West Ham United. The crowds goes crazy to see Zava including the Richmond players except Jamie Tartt. Dani Rojas is so excited to see his idol sitting in the crowd, enjoying the fame. Rebecca tries to talk to Zava, who snobbishly says to her that "It's an honor for you to meet me" and he leaves her while being friendly with Rupert.
The Diva[]
Rebecca follows Zava to the public restroom and yells at him, calling him a fucking chicken shit. She screams at him that if he were truly a great player, he could play anywhere, but instead he choose West Ham because it's big and shiny, knowing that the club doesn't need him because they will win no matter what, and he will never to wonder if he's still as good as he tells everyone about it. Rebecca calls him an overrated and an overpaid football player. While she says all of these, Zava is peeing and Rebecca tells him in disgust that he eats a lot of asparagus.
During the press conference after the game, Mr. Gilman welcomes Zava as the newest member of Chelsea Football Club. As Zava is about to sign the contract for Chelsea, he speaks in front of the journalists that he changed his mind and will not join the club. He announces that he will join Richmond Football Club instead. Moe Bumbercatch breaks the news in the locker room with the delight of everyone except Jamie because his position as the best player in Richmond is threatened.
Zava as Richmond player
At Nelson Road Stadium where the 'Welcome Zava' ceremony is about to commence, the crowd and the news media are gathering but the superstars is two hours late, which makes Rebecca questions Higgins whether they already signed Zava to their club's contract. Higgins assures her that Zava already signed the contract using the e-sign. Rebecca goes back to her office only to find Zava scrounging around in her desk. She yells at him for being late, but he charms Ted, Keeley, and even Higgins - all of them are smitten with him except Rebecca.
Zava greets his new teammates in the locker room, and they are in awe watching him, except Jamie. The tall player acknowledges everyone including Will Kitman and praises him for having the important job in the club as a kit man. He then gives a speech of how much everyone is now in one with him and he is now a part of the team. Roy Kent and Coach Beard are also in awe at him, especially when he changes the team formation on the whiteboard and puts himself up front with the other players behind him.
Luck Change[]
Before the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., the coaches tells everyone to give all the ball to Zava and benches Colin Hughes. When Ted calls all the players to huddle, Zava instead put himself in the middle of the group and makes everyone to touch his body to get his energy, and hyping them before the match. Zava scores a goal the second the match begins, and everyone feels that the club's luck is about to change.
The Richmond players are now following Zava's lifestyle - they are meditating together in the middle of the locker room, which freaks Jamie up. It culminates when Richmond is up against Manchester United, and Zava manages to pull up a hat trick and brings the team into their first ever victory against the giant of football club. The new player scores goal every time they are up against their toughest opponents, and their winning streaks brings Richmond to the top 5 ranking of the season.
Before facing the West Ham United, Zava tells Thierry Zoreaux to 'be whoever you want' after he mispronounced his name, and tells everyone that they shouldn't listen to the pundits about how they are underestimate Richmond. Unfortunately, West Ham has a strong defense and he's upset that Jamie refuses to give the ball to him, especially when after they lost the half-time, the coaches showed them a video of Nathan Shelley ripping off the BELIEVE sign, which results them to anger and anarchy as the players starts to play dirty and chaotic in the match.
They lost the match and Zava starts to think about his future in Richmond.
Jump The Ship[]
After their devastated loss against West Ham, their club's ranking drops to number 9, not even Zava can help Richmond to win matches. Loss after loss makes Zava ponders about his own future as a footballer as he realizes that he's not as good as he boasted before, but he refuse to acknowledge it. When Jamie encourages his teammates that they need to support each other, Zava steals the spotlight and says the same thing but with a more bravado and convinces everyone that he came up with the encouragement.
Zava mentions that he loves his wife, Christina, so much, and she is the only woman for her after everyone asks what he thinks about Anastasia Orlov who is rumored to date Nate. And after he mentions that, he leaves the locker room and never to be seen again.
During a match against Manchester City, Zava is nowhere to be found. Everyone tries to call him, and to his agent, his manager, his publicist, his trainer, his acupuncturist, his acupressurist, his fecalist, his avocado whisperer, and his barber - but nobody answers the phone. Ted thinks he's dead, and Roy suggests that he'd better be. But Zava is actually just "retired" when an article about him appears that day after the match, which Richmond experience another loss. Rebecca takes the news in stride, seems unsurprised that Zava is too coward to inform her and everyone else that he quits the club.
Higgins announce to the players that Zava has leave the club and Dani bawls uncontrollably. Sam tells everyone that Zava has posted a video about him saying "goodbye" to his fellow teammates. He tells everyone that he is now retired from football and will dedicate his life as an avocado farmer. He gives them a last message that they should put their energy into something they love and believe that the universe will give back to them. A nice message but the players have had enough and just wallows in despair.
After their loss against the AFC Ajax, Roy ends up taking down Zava's portrait which was on the wall of the club most emblematic players in a fit of anger, to note Zava was only part of the club for the 2023 season.
Before the final match against West Ham United F.C. for the Premier League rank, Zava sends his former team players a huge Avocado and a text message wishing them luck, but the players ignores it. They are however are in awe seeing the huge avocado.
As Ted makes his way in the airport to go back to Kansas after winning the match, he stops to buy some magazines, one of them has Zava as their cover which reveal that he came out of his retirement and joined the Los Angeles Football Club as their new striker.
Height[]
Zava is one of the tallest players in the AFC Richmond with Paul Reynolds, Tyler Shannon, Jack Dawkins, O'Brien, Gareth Canterbury, Babatunde, Jan Maas, Thierry Zoreaux, and Tommy Winchester. It seems he is also towering over everyone - which is mentioned by Trent Crimm.
FIFA 23[]
In the video game FIFA 23, his first name is Max, a nod to actor Maximillian Osinski who played the character.
Notes[]
- According to actor Maximilian Osinski who played Zava, the character borrows from the "egos and energies" of real football superstars such as Frenchman Eric Cantona and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. But the preeminent role model was Zlatan Ibrahimović, a Swedish-born marvel who Osinski does resemble, from the tall, lean physique to the man bun.
- Zava lets his kids name themselves once they have reached the age of 7 resulting in some controversial name choices as one of his youngest picked the name Ugly for themselves.
- Zava doesn't watch movies because the only thing he likes to watch is his wife, Christina.