Cameras picked up Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as Arsenal hosted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The American entertainer is known to be a huge sports fan and his presence at the game, given his alter ego's place within modern football culture, was an amusing side-note for fans of the world famous show.
Ted Lasso at the Emirates again!
Sudeikis was there as himself, rather than some kind of Ted Lasso cameo, dressed in a jacket and tie, flat cap and dark glasses. Richmond gear was nowhere to be seen. It's not the first time this season that he's been seen at an Arsenal game, attending August's season opener against Nottingham Forest, and is increasingly a known fan of Mikel Arteta's side. Still, Brendan Hunt, known for playing Lasso's assistant, Coach Beard, was alongside him.
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Atletico Madrid have forged a reputation in the decade-plus that Diego Simeone has been at the helm as being one of Europe's toughest teams to beat. So for Arsenal to put four goals past them and prompt a full-on collapse – just 13 minutes elapsed betwen Gabriel putting the Gunners ahead and Viktor Gyokeres making it 4-0 – was certainly worthy of a few raised eyebrows.
Not a fan before Ted Lasso series began
Ted Lasso was born when Sudeikis starred as the character in a series of TV commercials advertising NBC's coverage of the Premier League in 2013, ironically depicted as the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach. But it wasn't until 2019 that a full series was commissioned, airing in 2020.
Sudeikis wasn't a soccer fan before taking on the role, but it has introduced him to the world's most popular sport. "I like it, yeah," he remarked in 2024. "I don't understand everything, but after the show, I started to enjoy it even further."
Getty ImagesSolskjaer also attends
Sudeikis wasn't the only famous face spotted among the crowd. Ex-Manchester United boss and Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also seen watching on. The Norwegian was recently dismissed by Besiktas following successive Europa League and Conference League qualifying eliminations, only eight months after taking the job in Istanbul. It was Solskjaer's first role since leaving United in 2021.