Full Name
Pavel Nedvěd
Position
Attacking Midfielder
Born
20 August 1972
Country
Czech Republic
Clubs
Dukla Prague (Czech Republic)
Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)
Lazio (Italy)
Juventus (Italy)
Professional Career
1991-2009
International Caps/Goals
91 caps/18 goals
Honours
3 Czech League title, 1 Czech Cup (Sparta Prague)
1 Serie A Scudetto, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Italian Super Cup (Lazio)
2 Serie A Scudetto, 2 Italian Super Cup (Juventus)
1 Serie B title (Juventus)
1 Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup (Lazio)
2003 Ballon d’Or
Many raised their eyebrows when Juventus sold the great Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid and bought Pavel Nedvěd from Lazio as their main playmaker replacement in 2001. But Nedvěd proved his worth by leading Juventus to multiple Scudetto from 2002 to 2006 (although the 2005 and 2006 Scudetto were later striped from Juventus for alleged match-fixing scandals). Even after Juventus was relegated to Serie B after the scandal, Nedvěd chose to stick with the club and help them to win the Serie B title and gain promotion back to Serie A in the following season.
Blessed with great vision on the field, excellent dribbling skills and a powerful shot with either foot, Nedvěd’s playmaking ability made him one of the finest in the world in the early 2000s. His splendid performances earned him the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2003.
At the international level, Nedvěd represented Czech Republic in three European Championships and one World Cup. Czech Republic came close in the 1996 European Championship, charging into the final only to lose to Germany. Nedvěd would suffer heartbreak again in the 2004 European Championship, when Czech Republic shockingly lost to Greece in the semi-finals.
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