From Palm Beach, through Madrid and Munich to Legia Warsaw: a wild journey of Robert Deziel JR

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Tomasz Moczerniuk (beIN Sports): How does a kid from Palm Beach end up at Legia? 

Robert Deziel Jr: It definitely was a wild journey. The decision to go to Europe was not mine. When I was 9 my father’s job made it possible for him to come to Spain. I spent 6 years there and another 6 in Germany. It wasn’t the easiest of things when you have to leave your home and friends behind at such a young age. But the way I was able to adapt after my move to Legia I can attribute to my childhood. I wanted to come out here and try. I am glad it worked out.

Can you expand a bit about the move from Germany to Poland?

For the last few years I was at Bayern’s academy and last season I played on the second team. I reached the point where I felt comfortable to consider a move. I have grown a lot as a player and was eager to make the next step, which I felt was important for my development. Legia is such a big club. They showed interest some time ago. My agent talked with them to get the deal done. And now I am in Warsaw, fortunate enough to be at one of the most accomplished teams in Poland.

How much did you know about Legia before joining them?

I didn’t need to “google” Legia because they have such a good reputation especially in Europe. If you asked soccer fans from other countries about the Ekstraklasa they probably wouldn't be able to name 5 teams, but Legia would definitely make the list. It’s one of the most historic and successful clubs in Poland. I had known about Legia since I watched them in the Champions League against Real and Borussia. I didn’t really follow them in the Ekstraklasa, but I’ve known how the league has improved over the last decade. There have been many players that made the move from Poland to the Bundesliga, La Liga and other top leagues. There are also many exciting players coming here to play. Since it has grown a lot people start to know about it and there’s a lot of respect for the league.

You’re only 21, so is Legia a platform for you to showcase your skills in Europe? 

I want to achieve as much as possible so the way I see it, Ekstraklasa is my next step. I don’t know what awaits me down the road, but I am very happy to be able to come to this club right now. Everything is great: the infrastructure, the stadium, the coaches, the players and the quality. It is something new and different for me. I am grateful for the experience and that I can test myself at Ekstraklasa. 

How has it been for you to work under Marek Papszun?

I cannot say enough about coach Papszun. What he’s achieved in Poland is tremendous and unbelievable. Him taking Raków from the lower leagues and bringing them to the championship is like a script for a Hollywood movie. To be able to play for a manager like that is definitely an honor. I won’t take it for granted. 

You’ve already started and played in six games for Legia. Seems like you’re becoming one of Papszun’s soldiers?

When I arrived one of the first things he told me was to just be myself. He said: “It will be a step up, maybe even two steps up, but don’t waste any time, don’t look around and get distracted. Try to adapt and show what you can do.”I know it’s only 6 games, but to be able to play, to help the team to get off to a good start is just awesome. I am excited for what’s to come and see how the season goes.  And back to coach Papszun everyone has a tremendous amount of respect for him. I have never seen anything like this before. He works just as hard as we do and does so much for the players, so in return the players feel the need to give back to him during every training and every game. It’s that “soldier” mindset that you referred to: to go out and battle for him. He’s our general.

How did the Legia locker room embrace you? 

Sometimes when you join as a new guy the team tends to stay away from you at least at the beginning. But not here. Everyone was really helpful from day one. We went to a preseason camp in Germany and when we came back I knew more than half of the team really well. So far I’ve only been here for a couple of months, but the team chemistry is very strong, everyone is good with everyone. That, I feel, can benefit us a lot this season.

Who from the veterans took you under their wings?

Paweł Wszołek and Bartosz Kapustka. They are older and have seniority in Legia so I was thankful for a couple of good talks when they shared some info about their journeys. Another good guy was Mileta Rajovic. He opened up to me on the first day and we spoke for more than 20 minutes. Ruben Vinagre is one of the best people you will ever meet. A very good guy, down to earth even though he achieved so much in the sport. The other couple of guys that I look up to are Kamil Piątkowski and Rafał Augustyniak. They are my partners in the back line and I try to learn from them everyday. 

How is it that you also have Italian citizenship? 

Grandpa from my father’s side was from Italy. They came over to the US in the early 1900.

You’ve honed your skills at two top academies in the world: Read Madrid and Bayern Munich. Did any of the guys you played with there made it to the big leagues?

At Madrid I played with Jacobo Ramon, who had a couple of games in La Liga and played in the Champions League with Real. Since 2025 he has been in Serie A with Como. At Bayern we had a really good and competitive team. I spent 3 years playing with Kenan Yildiz - who’s at Juventus and played for Turkey at the World Cup - and Alex Pavlovic, who’s still at Bayern and started 3 games at the World Cup for Germany. I also played with Arijon Ibrahimovic and Paul Wanner, who is at PSV Eindhoven and played in the World Cup with Austria. There were about 10 or 20 other players that play in the Bundesliga today.

Which one congratulated you first when you broke the news about going to Legia?

None of the big ones (laughter). But quite a lot of teammates from my second team at Bayern have reached out.

When you were at Bayern, have your paths ever crossed with Robert Lewandowski?

I saw him in the hallway and at training, but we never met in person. He has done so much at Bayern and elsewhere as well. They love him there. He gave the fans so many good memories. They have another good one now - Harry Kane - but Lewy is Bayern’s greatest striker ever. He’s broken so many records, won so many trophies and championships. It’s unreal.

One of your former teammates Sergio Oregel now plays with Lewandowski at Chicago Fire. Oregel and yourself were at the US U15 team, which also featured Reed Baker Whiting (Nashville SC), Nolan Norris (FC Dallas) and Emmanuel Ochoa (Cruz Azul). 

Yes, I was called up for a 4-team tournament and played against Russia, Ukraine and actually Poland! I also attended the US U19 team camp. We trained at Chula Vista, California. It was a great experience and I hope to be honored one day to get a call up to the first team. It’s one of the most special moments and greatest achievements for a player to reach. 

In October the starting central defender for the USMT Tim Ream will turn 39. He might soon be hanging up his boots. Has anyone from Mauricio Pochettino’s staff been in contact with you?

No, but we will see what happens as there are a few international breaks coming up. It would be amazing to play for the A team and represent my country at the Gold Cups. However, I am in the perfect age group to make the U23 team. To play in the Olympics would be a tremendous honor for me. That definitely is a goal of mine and I hope it comes to fruition. I feel that playing for Legia is a step closer to reaching that goal.

What would really help you is if Legia were playing in Europe…

For sure playing in Europe is special, that’s why we need to focus on this year. We can win the league and the cup and put ourselves out to play in European competitions next year.

You’re not the only American at Legia. In 2025 Jeremiah White IV left the New York Red Bulls Academy and is now part of the reserve squad. 

Yes, I hope to meet him one day and talk about his experience at Legia. 

After 6 games Legia are unbeaten and first in the standings. Did you think it would be that easy in Ekstraklasa?

It definitely is not easy. In terms of intensity and physicality I would almost compare my first matches to the Bundesliga level. You can easily see now why Ekstraklasa made the step to the top ten leagues in the world. It’s both very competitive and challenging. To be successful here you always have to be improving. 

How would you describe the atmosphere, the fans at Łazienkowska?

It’s almost too tough to describe. I think it’s one of those phrases when one picture is better than a thousand worlds. Being at the field there is unbelievable. I’ve never gotten goosebumps  before the match, but now - whenever we play home and I am walking out of the tunnel - I have them all over my body. The supporters’ section Żyleta is amazing. I always look forward to seeing whatever new they cooked up: whether it’s incredible tifos, fire or smoke. It’s a great honor to play for such passionate supporters.

What about away games?

Well, we are Legia, so it doesn't matter where you play at Piast or in Szczecin it’s always a full house. From the playing stand point, away games could be a little tricky for us as we don’t have as many fans supporting us. At Łazienkowska over 30 thousand people always give us incredible energy. They reward every good tackle. That helps every player. I am so fortunate to experience that every other week. 

Since you represented both Real and Bayern at youth level - whom would you root for if these two teams met in the Champions League final?

Right now I would be rooting for Madrid because of Jose Mourinho. He is like Papszun: a coaching legend who achieved so much. I really respect him and his personality style. He really is the “Special One”.

Currently both Ekstraklasa and MLS enjoy their periods of growth. But - despite the World Cup’s hype - the Polish league’s popularity seems to be growing at a higher rate. We already have Kellyn Acosta at Pogoń, Kahveh Zahirorelsam at Cracovia, Max Dietz at Górnik Zabrze and Ema Twumasi at Piast and of course yourself. Does that mean we will see more Americans in Poland?  

In terms of the World Cup there was a lot of noise about what was going on before, but it still was a cool tournament with a lot of memorable moments. Messi and many other stars played their final games. In terms of the MLS’ growth we have to realize that America is a tough market for soccer. You have more established and popular NFL, MLB and NBA here. MLS is growing and tries to compete with these but it won’t change in one world cup cycle. In Poland soccer is the biggest sport. And that’s the main difference between Europe and the US. And as far as more Americans coming to Poland I would say of course it’s a solid step forward in terms of football. The American and Polish mindsets are similar: hard work is always the most important. Players from both countries are eager to learn, want to advance their development and push themselves. At Legia we cultivate the winners’ mindsets trying to improve every day. We have really good players and coaches teach us good tactics. I also love Polish culture. Poland is very clean, safe and the food is amazing. People are also very open and welcoming. It’s been really great so far.

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