Jillian Sakovits is one of the busiest reporters for Major League Soccer on Apple TV, serving as both a studio host and sideline reporter for many of the league’s marquee events, including the MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup. She has also worked on the sidelines for ESPN and FOX’s soccer coverages. In addition, she co-hosts Full Time, the podcast from The Athletic, and serves as a freelance host for the CBS Sports Golazo Network. She also created and hosted Beyond the Stands, a global series highlighting the philanthropic work of MLS players.

Over the years, Jillian has interviewed global stars such as David Beckham, Thomas Müller, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, and Tim Howard — and like Howard, she is of Hungarian descent. In an exclusive interview with YankeeFooty, Jillian spoke about her grandfather’s extraordinary life as a Hungarian freedom fighter and her own journey in sports media.

- It is well known that you are of Hungarian descent. Could you tell us more about that?

- I am of Hungarian descent on my father's side. My grandmother and grandfather are from the same village, both were born in Szentpéterfa in western Hungary. But there is a twist in the story: they didn't meet there, but in New York. My grandfather fled communist Hungary for North America in 1949, but my grandmother was already living here at the time. My father was granted asylum in Canada. Shortly after, he learned that there was a community from Szentpéterfa in New York. He wanted to visit them because my grandmother's family had once helped my grandfather's parents when their house burned down. My father thought he would repay this kindness with the money he had earned in Canada. When he went to New York to repay the debt, he met my grandmother. It was destiny. They got married in 1951.

- You mentioned that your grandfather was forced to flee Hungary. Can you tell us a little about his story?

- My grandfather's story is quite incredible. His name was Lajos (Louis) Sakovits, and he was born in Szentpéterfa in 1927 - a town of about 1,000 people. Even as a young man, he fought hard against communist oppression; he was a true freedom fighter. His uncle, Ferenc Harangozó, was a priest and secretary to the famous Cardinal Mindszenty. My father helped his uncle a lot in smuggling political refugees, priests, and people declared enemies of the Soviet Union to Austria. Then one day, the communist secret police noticed their activities. His uncle was arrested, convicted, and sent to a Siberian hard labor camp - where he would survive and serve nine year. He himself, however, escaped thanks to a lucky coincidence: the secret police were looking for him under the name Lajos Harangozó, while his real name was Lajos Sakovits. The secret police went to the town hall to obtain information about his whereabouts. However, my grandfather had a friend at the town hall who warned him of the danger in time. That night, at 17 years old, he slept in a barn, then said goodbye to his mother and set off for the Austrian border. From there, he first traveled to Canada, then to New York. He did not return to Hungary until the 1990s, and he never saw his mother again.

- I saw a post on your Instagram page where you mentioned that your grandfather was involved in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. Did he ever tell you about it?

- My grandfacther wasn't the type to brag, so he didn't talk about it much. You have to understand that he came to the United States without any professional qualifications, no high school diploma, and no English. He started working in a steel mill in the Bronx. He entered as the lowest-paid employee, and left as the highest. By the time he retired, he was the manager of the steel mill. When the Statue of Liberty was renovated in the 1980s, he participated in the work as a foreman. If you ever go, there is a final, very narrow spiral staircase in the statue's torch. Once, when I was a child, my father took me up there, looked at me and said, "You know, Jillian, your grandfather built this staircase." There is something poetic about the fact that he arrived in America as a Hungarian refugee, without any qualifications or language skills, and then, many years later, he was the foreman on the renovation of one of America's greatest national symbols. A symbol that represented freedom and a new life for many others.

- Have you ever been to Hungary yourself?

- I've been to the country once, in 2010. My grandfather had three siblings, his two brothers also moved to America, but his sister lived her life in Hungary. She had her own family and children. In 2010, I was an exchange student in Spain when my sister and I found my second cousins on Facebook. On a sudden impulse, we decided to visit them. On New Year's Day, my sister and I traveled to Hungary and met them. They had never seen me before and didn't know me at all, yet they were incredibly hospitable to me. My cousins borrowed a car from a friend to pick me up at the airport, and then we stayed at another friend's apartment in Budapest. Everyone wanted to help, everyone wanted us to feel comfortable. Not only my cousins, but their friends too. I was impressed by this kind of Hungarian hospitality, this willingness to help. Then we went to Szentpéterfa, where we experienced even more of this hospitality. There are at most 100 houses in the village, and I think we visited at least a quarter of them. Everyone knew my grandfather and everyone was curious about us. Word quickly spread that Lajos Sakovits' grandchildren were in the village, straight from America. So we went from house to house. Since we don't speak Hungarian, we had no idea what was going on around us. But in every house, we were welcomed with some alcohol and a little cake. By the end, we were almost sick, but we didn't want to refuse them. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

- In terms of sights, what was the most memorable experience for you in Hungary?

- In Budapest, I was captivated by the view of the Danube. Of course, you see it in photos and on TV, but it's completely different in real life. The whole setting, together with the Parliament, was so iconic. In Szentpéterfa, the house where my grandfather grew up meant the most to me.

- Did you learn any Hungarian words or expressions during your stay here?

- My favorite word is "aranyos" (cute). American girls often use the word "cute" when they want to describe something beautiful or interesting. So when my cousins took me to a small bakery or shop in Budapest, I always said how "cute" it was. They took it upon themselves to teach me the Hungarian equivalent. Besides that, "szia" is my other favorite because it's very similar to the English "see you."

- Let's talk about your career. What attracted you to the world of soccer? Was it always your plan to become a sports reporter?

- Let's just say that it was my dream to work in television. But I wouldn't call it a plan, because it seemed so distant and unrealistic. My Hungarian grandfather played a huge role in getting me interested in soccer. Whenever there was a game on TV, he always watched it. And soccer broadcasts were certainly a rarity in the United States at the time. When I was five years old, I started playing soccer myself and loved it. I played until I finished college. But then I gave it up because I felt I needed to find a job. My first real television job was as a production assistant. That might sound exciting at first, but basically I was editing late-night baseball highlights for peanuts. I was still living with my parents at the time. Later, I also worked for a local news station. I tried many things to gain experience and try to find a place in the sports world. Finally, I got the opportunity to appear on camera. And I have to say, I did terribly at first. But my passion for sports and my determination helped me overcome the difficulties, and eventually I felt more and more comfortable in my role. Meanwhile, soccer became increasingly popular and more and more opportunities arose to work in the soccer industry. And I seized them.

- How did you end up working for MLS?

- I started working for Major League Soccer in 2015. The year before that, I was a presenter on a late-night online show for the National Hockey League (NHL). However, the whole project only lasted a year. I was very disappointed when it ended. I started asking around to see if anyone knew of any job opportunities in the world of sports. Someone told me that MLS was worth trying. So I quickly searched for all the recordings of interviews or reports I had done related to soccer. Back in high school, when I was 14, I interviewed the players on the school team, so I dug that up too. I made a compilation video from this small collection and sent it to the league. After that, I spent nearly six months just going to interviews. Then, in October 2015, they called me and said they needed someone in Portland for the final round of the regular season, an event called Decision Day. They asked if I could travel to Oregon to cover the game. It's important to note that this was a decisive match for the Portland Timbers. Depending on the result, they would either make the playoffs or miss out. In the latter case, it was almost certain that the coach, Caleb Porter, would be fired. So the match carried enormous weight. And they sent me, who barely knew any of the players or staff. It's no exaggeration to say they threw me in at the deep end. Fortunately, the Timbers won the match, made it to the playoffs, and went all the way to the final, which they then won. And because MLS liked my performance on Decision Day, they sent me back to Oregon for the playoff matches. So you could say that saving the Timbers paved the way for my MLS career.

- That was the playoff season when the Timbers played Sporting KC in the first game. In that game, Hungarian Krisztián Németh scored a goal against the Timbers…

- Yes, I remember it, it was a crazy game. And in the end, it was decided by a marathon penalty shootout, during which one of the Sporting KC players hit the crossbar twice. It was pure madness, the stands were going wild. I looked around and asked myself... is this what happens at every MLS game?

- During your MLS career, you've interviewed many famous players. You've talked to David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Josef Martinez, Tim Howard, Nani, Landon Donovan, and others. Who was the most pleasant surprise for you, who was the friendliest?

- That's a very good question. It would be difficult to choose. One thing is certain: MLS players, including the biggest stars, know that they need to promote the league and the sport, as it is in their best interest. When I interviewed Zlatan, they had just lost a game. Still, he answered two or three questions, didn't roll his eyes, and didn't treat the whole thing as a burden. It was the same with Nani and Wayne Rooney. I have to say, though, that Zlatan is the most intimidating person to talk to among reporters. Not because he's rude or anything like that. But he never looks you in the eye, he answers while staring into the distance, as if he were in a completely different world, his own world.

As for the more pleasant interviewees, well, I can mention Tim Howard, for example, who is incredibly friendly. I interviewed him in Colorado about how soccer helps him manage the symptoms of his Tourette syndrome. When the interview was published, he wrote a message saying I had done a great job. He wasn't obligated to do so; it was just a nice gesture on his part. Then, a few years later, we were looking for a guest for our podcast, The Call Up. It was a last-minute thing because someone had canceled. I wrote a message to Tim on one of his social media pages to ask if he was available. He replied almost immediately. Unfortunately, he wasn't available, but he took the time to reply and say that he would love to be on the show, but unfortunately he couldn't make it. Then, a few episodes later, he was our guest. The point is, he's a polite and great guy, who also happens to be one of the most well-known and influential figures in American soccer.

- Did you know that Tim's mother is Hungarian?

- Yes. In fact, I even mentioned to him during an interview about Tourette's that I also have Hungarian roots. He is very proud of his heritage and often talks about it.

- And did you have the opportunity to tell Peter Vermes the same thing?

- Yes, but you have to understand that Peter is very professional and only concerned with soccer. So when I told him that I am also of Hungarian descent, he replied, "Wow, that's cool," and then went right back to talking about soccer. But I know that Peter pays close attention to Hungarians and that this kind of family heritage is important to him.

- Have you interviewed any Hungarian MLS players?

- I think I've only spoken to Krisztián Németh once or twice. Dániel Sallói, on the other hand, was our guest on the podcast for a longer conversation, and I've interviewed him several times after matches. I immediately felt that certain "Hungarian connection" with him. I just said "szia" to him and we were immediately on the same wavelength. It's wonderful that people from such a small country can find each other in different parts of the world.

I’ve also had the chance to interview Dániel Gazdag. He’s unbelievably welcoming and friendly. There’s always a certain comfort — and excitement — among the handful of Hungarian players in the league, and Gazdag is no exception. Even though we don’t know each other particularly well, when I interview him for TV, it almost feels like talking to family. There are so few Hungarians here that even being semi-Hungarian — like me — is enough to create that instant bond. I really enjoyed watching Daniel during his years as one of the league’s top goal scorers, and I’m hopeful that with a new coach in Columbus, this could be a fresh start for him and we’ll get to see that version of Gazdag again.

- What do you think is the reason why more and more Hungarian players have chosen to sign with MLS over the past 10 years?

- I think that technological advances have played a part in this. More and more leagues around the world can be watched, and it is possible to explore the players who play there in greater depth. Another factor is that it only takes one person to start such a wave of players. Peter Vermes has excellent connections in Hungary, and he brought Krisztián Németh here, who performed very well. Seeing this, Chicago signed Nikolic, who won the Golden Boot, and then Dániel Sallói arrived. So it always starts with one person…

- When you talk to soccer players, you often touch on their lives beyond professional soccer. For example, there is your earlier documentary series Beyond the Stands, which even won an award at the 41st Telly Awards. What did this show mean to you?

- This series was a real passion project for me. I put my heart and soul into it. Don't get me wrong, I love doing interviews on the sidelines, but this project allowed me to feel like I was contributing in some small way to changing the world. I was able to show how much humanitarian work MLS players do, how many areas they try to make a difference in, how many people they try to help. I was able to draw attention to issues and problems that were very important to me.

- Thanks to the series, you were able to film in several countries. Which episode and which location was the most special for you?

- It would be difficult to choose. We visited a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, which affected me deeply. But we also visited a terribly impoverished region of Honduras that had been completely destroyed by gang wars. However, what had the biggest impact on me was Ghana, where I visited with Jonathan Mensah, the Ghanaian national team defender who was playing for Columbus Crew at the time. Jonathan got married a week before we arrived and skipped his own honeymoon so that we could film the material about the foundation he had set up to help disadvantaged children and orphans in Ghana. Shortly after filming, he had to return to the U.S. for preseason. Instead of spending his honeymoon, he drove us around for a few days with his new wife. It was very special to see how much this meant to him.

- It meant a lot to me that you talked to me and took time for Hungarian MLS fans. What message do you have for our community at YankeeFooty?

- First of all, I want to send everyone a big "szia." And I ask you all to follow me ont he social platforms, so we can stay in touch! You are like a big family to me, and I think about you and Hungary a lot!

Interview by Tamás Kun, author of Jenkifoci.