Football club “Vilnius Žalgiris”, the city’s business and tourism development agency “Go Vilnius” and “Laisvės TV” have joined forces for an unexpected and ambitious initiative. An official invitation has been sent to Jason Sudeikis, the star of the “Apple TV” series “Ted Lasso,” which is now in its fourth season, to come to Lithuania this autumn and become the head coach of the Vilnius “Žalgiris” women’s team for at least a week and lead the team in A League matches.
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The cult “Apple TV” series “Ted Lasso” – which has received 139 nominations, won 40 awards, and become a global phenomenon – opens a new chapter in its fourth season: the main character takes on coaching a women’s football team. In response, Vilnius decided to offer the Lithuanian-born actor a real experience – to come to the Lithuanian capital and take the reins of the women’s A League favorite.
J. Sudeikis and his character are promised complete tactical freedom and the support of a professional coaching staff so that the Hollywood star’s debut in real football does not turn into an overly realistic “Ted Lasso” episode.
If J. Sudeikis accepts the invitation, Vilnius is ready to offer him not only football. Since in the series Coach Beard, Ted Lasso’s right-hand man, is known for his love of strange places, the city will have to provide an appropriate program beyond the stadium.
Andrius Tapinas, president of the football club “Vilnius Žalgiris” and founder of “Laisvės TV,” says this idea was born primarily from the desire to draw more attention to women’s sports, but at the same time, it is a great opportunity to show millions of series fans worldwide Vilnius’s courage and creativity.
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“Do you know that famous yellow ‘Believe’ sign in Ted Lasso’s locker room? We in Vilnius believe in Ted 100 percent, so we offer him and the legendary Coach Beard a real challenge, a real team, and real A League matches. The team is ready, the stadium is ready, and Vilnius is ready to prove that football and courage supported by a good dose of humor have no borders,” says A. Tapinas.
“Go Vilnius” communications manager Eglė Girdzijauskaitė emphasizes that this step is an organic part of Vilnius’s communication, promoting the city from unexpected angles.
“Vilnius has always been known for its ability to look at itself unusually, boldly, and with light irony. Millions of people worldwide admire the ‘Ted Lasso’ phenomenon, and the new season’s theme about women’s football perfectly aligns with our desire to support and grow the visibility of women’s sports. We are confident that this initiative will attract international media attention and become an incentive for series fans to come and experience Vilnius as a lively, open, and slightly crazy city,” says E. Girdzijauskaitė.
The invitation has already reached the actor’s close circle, and a campaign has started on social networks aiming to convince J. Sudeikis and the creators of “Ted Lasso” to accept Vilnius’s offered challenge. The women’s football A League match, where J. Sudeikis is expected to be seen at the helm of “Žalgiris,” is scheduled for this autumn in Vilnius.
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