Pavel Nedved
Encyclopedia
Pavel Nedvěd (ˈpavɛl ˈnɛdvjɛt; born 30 August 1972 in Cheb
) is a retired Czech
football midfielder
. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed
Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio
and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup
. Widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of the modern era, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2003, only the second Czech player to receive this honour, and the first since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. Nedved was also the recipient of the 2nd Golden Foot award
in 2004. Nedved was also a key member of the Czech Republic
team which reached the final of Euro '96, during which he garnered much international attention. He was also later given the international captaincy. Well known for his energy and tireless runs, as well as his goal scoring ability, Nedved was nicknamed Furia Ceca ("The Czech Fury", an Italian
wordplay on the phrase Furia Cieca, meaning "Blind Fury") by Juventus fans.
Nedvěd retired after the 2008–09 season after 19 years as a professional. He played 664 club games, scoring 146 goals, and was capped 91 times for the Czech Republic, scoring 18 times.
and raised in the nearby town Skalná
, Nedvěd began his football career in his native Czechoslovakia. A football fanatic from a young age, Nedved began playing for his home team, Tatran Skalna, in 1977, aged just 5. He then moved on to Rudá Hvězda Cheb in 1985, playing just one season there, before playing for 5 years with Skoda Plzen. In 1990, Nedved arrived in Prague
, his nation's capital. Nedved initially signed for Dukla Prague, but played only one season with the outfit before being snapped up by the more prestigious Sparta Prague. With Sparta, Nedved won one Czechoslovak first league
and two Gambrinus liga
titles, as well as one Czech Republic Football Cup
. Nedved's performances at Euro 1996, including a goal in the group stage match against Italy, gained him some notoriety; despite apparently having a verbal agreement with PSV, Nedved made the move from Sparta Prague to Serie A
outfit Lazio
in 1996.
on 7 September 1996. Nedved rapidly became an integral part of the Lazio side, helping them to the 1997–98 Coppa Italia
, and also to the last ever international Cup Winners' Cup 1999. Nedved played a vital role in the campaign and also managed to score the last ever goal of the tournament, which was abolished the next year. In the final against RCD Mallorca
, Nedved scored in the 81st minute, securing a 2–1 win for Lazio. Lazio went on to win the Serie A
title, as well as two Supercoppa Italiana
s with Nedved in the team, and also finished runner-up in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup
. Nedved played 204 games for the club overall, scoring 54 times.
in 2001 for a fee of €41 million as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane
, who had transferred to Spain
's Real Madrid
the same summer. He proved to be one of the few midfielders capable of assuming the playmaking role of his French predecessor. Nedvěd played frequently in Juventus' Scudetto-winning teams of 2001–02 and 2002–03.
Nedvěd was instrumental in leading Juventus into the 2003 Champions League
final against Milan
, but he was forced to sit out the final because of accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the semi-final for tackling Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman
. At the end of the year, he won the European Footballer of the Year
award.
Following the 2005–06 season, and Juventus's relegation from Serie A due to the Calciopoli scandal, Nedvěd's future as a Juventus player was heavily discussed. After the World Cup, he dispelled those rumors by restating his desire to help Juventus regain promotion to the Serie A. However, the season was somewhat tumultuous for the Czech international. With only a one-year contract, he hinted he might retire from football altogether at the end of the season. He repeated this threat after a 5-game ban stemming from a red card on 1 December. Nevertheless, he remained with the club until the end of the season. Together fellow veterans David Trézéguet
and captain Alessandro Del Piero
, the three of them scored 47 of the 83 goals Juve scored in Serie B as they won promotion at the first time of asking.
During the 2007–08 season, Nedvěd played frequently for the Bianconeri, providing contributions while being Juve's first-choice left winger. However, he has not been free from controversy. Nedvěd came under negative spotlight recently for his tackle on Internazionale
midfielder Luís Figo
, which resulted in a broken fibula for the Portuguese
player
.
Nedvěd had a fair season during Juve's return, but only scored twice. During Serie A 2007–08, Nedvěd acquired a slight concussion that kept him off of the pitch for about a month. He was linked with a move to Japan
ese side Jubilo Iwata
during the 2008–09 summer transfer window, but the rumours were quickly scotched when he committed his future to Juventus for another year after signing a new one year contract extension which would secure his services until June 2009.
. He also netted twice against Bologna
(2–1) in a match he captained Juve. On 26 February 2009, Nedvěd announced that he would retire at the end of 2008–09 season. On 10 March 2009, Nedved was substituted due to injury in the first half of the UEFA Champions League
second round game against Chelsea
, which due to his impending retirement, turned out to be his last European game for Juventus (who lost 3–2 on aggregate). He retired at the end of the season, captaining the final match against former team Lazio
and set up Vincenzo Iaquinta
's goal in a 2–0 victory. He was substituted before the final whistle and was given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. After the match ended, the other Juventus players formed a guard of honour and Nedvěd did a lap of honour to thank the fans. Later, captain Alessandro Del Piero
presented him with a commemorative shirt.
in June 1994 in a 3–1 win over the Republic of Ireland
. His big break came at the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament, where he was the driving force behind the Czechs' run to the final. He continued to be a regular in midfield and captained the Czech Republic from 2000 onwards. He initially retired from the national team in 2004 following the semifinal defeat to Greece at the Euro 2004 but, after much persuasion from coach Karel Brückner
and the team-mates, decided to come out of international retirement just in time for the qualification playoffs against Norway. In Nedvěd and his country's first ever World Cup
match since the break-up of Czechoslovakia
the Czechs impressively won 3-0 in their opening game against the United States
, but suffered injuries to key players and lost their next two group matches against Ghana
and eventual winners Italy, finishing third in their group. Nedvěd had several attempts at goal against Italy but they were saved by Juventus team-mate Gianluigi Buffon
. Nedvěd announced his retirement permanently after the tournament and refused to reverse his decision despite calls from team-mates and former coach Karel Brückner
prior to the Euro 2008.
, but changed his sportswear favourite to Adidas
.
|1991/92||Dukla Prague||First League
||19||3||||||colspan="2"|-||19||3
|-
|1992/93||Sparta Prague||First League
||18||0||||||5||0||23||0
|-
|1993/94||rowspan="3"|Sparta Prague||rowspan="3"|Gambrinus liga
||23||3||||||4||0||27||3
|-
|1994/95||27||6||||||2||0||29||6
|-
|1995/96||30||14||||||8||5||38||19
|-
|1996/97||rowspan="5"|Lazio||rowspan="5"|Serie A
||32||7||3||1||3||2||38||10
|-
|1997/98||26||11||6||2||11||2||43||15
|-
|1998/99||21||1||4||0||8||4||33||5
|-
|1999/00||28||5||6||1||12||1||46||7
|-
|2000/01||31||9||3||1||10||3||44||13
|-
|2001/02||rowspan="8"|Juventus||rowspan="5"|Serie A
||32||4||4||0||7||0||43||4
|-
|2002/03||29||9||1||0||15||5||45||14
|-
|2003/04||30||6||4||0||6||2||40||8
|-
|2004/05||27||7||1||0||10||3||38||10
|-
|2005/06||33||5||4||0||8||2||45||7
|-
|2006/07||Serie B
||33||11||3||1||colspan="2"|-||36||12
|-
|2007/08||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||31||2||2||1||colspan="2"|-||33||3
|-
|2008/09||32||7||3||0||9||0||44||7
37||3||||||5||0||42||3
80||23||||||14||5||94||28
385||84||44||7||99||24||528||115
502||110||44||7||118||29||664||146
|}
|1994||1||0
|-
|1995||4||0
|-
|1996||12||2
|-
|1997||10||2
|-
|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||9||2
|-
|2000||10||4
|-
|2001||11||4
|-
|2002||6||0
|-
|2003||8||2
|-
|2004||9||0
|-
|2005||2||0
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
!Total||91||18
|}
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
) is a retired Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
football midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
. Widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of the modern era, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2003, only the second Czech player to receive this honour, and the first since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. Nedved was also the recipient of the 2nd Golden Foot award
Golden Foot award
The Golden Foot award is an international football award, given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality...
in 2004. Nedved was also a key member of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
team which reached the final of Euro '96, during which he garnered much international attention. He was also later given the international captaincy. Well known for his energy and tireless runs, as well as his goal scoring ability, Nedved was nicknamed Furia Ceca ("The Czech Fury", an Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
wordplay on the phrase Furia Cieca, meaning "Blind Fury") by Juventus fans.
Nedvěd retired after the 2008–09 season after 19 years as a professional. He played 664 club games, scoring 146 goals, and was capped 91 times for the Czech Republic, scoring 18 times.
Czech Republic
Born in the town of ChebCheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
and raised in the nearby town Skalná
Skalná
Skalná ) is situated in the Czech Republic in the Karlovy Vary Region in close proximity of German border. Most of the area lies in the Cheb basin, in the nord it's located first hills of Smrčiny.-Parts:...
, Nedvěd began his football career in his native Czechoslovakia. A football fanatic from a young age, Nedved began playing for his home team, Tatran Skalna, in 1977, aged just 5. He then moved on to Rudá Hvězda Cheb in 1985, playing just one season there, before playing for 5 years with Skoda Plzen. In 1990, Nedved arrived in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, his nation's capital. Nedved initially signed for Dukla Prague, but played only one season with the outfit before being snapped up by the more prestigious Sparta Prague. With Sparta, Nedved won one Czechoslovak first league
Czechoslovak First League
The Czechoslovak First League was the premier football league in the Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1993, with the exception of World War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces who formed Gauliga Sudetenland and Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren leagues on occupied territories...
and two Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus Liga
The Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
titles, as well as one Czech Republic Football Cup
Czech Republic Football Cup
The Czech Republic Football Cup is the major football cup competition in the Czech Republic. It is organised by the Czech Football Association....
. Nedved's performances at Euro 1996, including a goal in the group stage match against Italy, gained him some notoriety; despite apparently having a verbal agreement with PSV, Nedved made the move from Sparta Prague to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
outfit Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
in 1996.
Lazio
Nedved played his first game for Lazio against BolognaBologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
on 7 September 1996. Nedved rapidly became an integral part of the Lazio side, helping them to the 1997–98 Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
, and also to the last ever international Cup Winners' Cup 1999. Nedved played a vital role in the campaign and also managed to score the last ever goal of the tournament, which was abolished the next year. In the final against RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
, Nedved scored in the 81st minute, securing a 2–1 win for Lazio. Lazio went on to win the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
title, as well as two Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
s with Nedved in the team, and also finished runner-up in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. Nedved played 204 games for the club overall, scoring 54 times.
Juventus
Having spent 5 seasons with Lazio, Nedved moved to JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
in 2001 for a fee of €41 million as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, who had transferred to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
the same summer. He proved to be one of the few midfielders capable of assuming the playmaking role of his French predecessor. Nedvěd played frequently in Juventus' Scudetto-winning teams of 2001–02 and 2002–03.
Nedvěd was instrumental in leading Juventus into the 2003 Champions League
2003 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan. The match made history as the...
final against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, but he was forced to sit out the final because of accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the semi-final for tackling Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
. At the end of the year, he won the European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
award.
Following the 2005–06 season, and Juventus's relegation from Serie A due to the Calciopoli scandal, Nedvěd's future as a Juventus player was heavily discussed. After the World Cup, he dispelled those rumors by restating his desire to help Juventus regain promotion to the Serie A. However, the season was somewhat tumultuous for the Czech international. With only a one-year contract, he hinted he might retire from football altogether at the end of the season. He repeated this threat after a 5-game ban stemming from a red card on 1 December. Nevertheless, he remained with the club until the end of the season. Together fellow veterans David Trézéguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
and captain Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
, the three of them scored 47 of the 83 goals Juve scored in Serie B as they won promotion at the first time of asking.
During the 2007–08 season, Nedvěd played frequently for the Bianconeri, providing contributions while being Juve's first-choice left winger. However, he has not been free from controversy. Nedvěd came under negative spotlight recently for his tackle on Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
midfielder Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
, which resulted in a broken fibula for the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
player
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
.
Nedvěd had a fair season during Juve's return, but only scored twice. During Serie A 2007–08, Nedvěd acquired a slight concussion that kept him off of the pitch for about a month. He was linked with a move to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese side Jubilo Iwata
Júbilo Iwata
is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...
during the 2008–09 summer transfer window, but the rumours were quickly scotched when he committed his future to Juventus for another year after signing a new one year contract extension which would secure his services until June 2009.
2008–09 season
Nedvěd scored Juventus' first league goal of the 2008–09 season in a 1–1 away draw with FiorentinaACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
. He also netted twice against Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
(2–1) in a match he captained Juve. On 26 February 2009, Nedvěd announced that he would retire at the end of 2008–09 season. On 10 March 2009, Nedved was substituted due to injury in the first half of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
second round game against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, which due to his impending retirement, turned out to be his last European game for Juventus (who lost 3–2 on aggregate). He retired at the end of the season, captaining the final match against former team Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and set up Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
's goal in a 2–0 victory. He was substituted before the final whistle and was given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. After the match ended, the other Juventus players formed a guard of honour and Nedvěd did a lap of honour to thank the fans. Later, captain Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
presented him with a commemorative shirt.
Retirement
Nedvěd announced his retirement in February 2009, effective from the end of that season. Nedvěd stated that he did not retire for "economic reasons" but so that he could spend more time with his family. He is currently a board member in the club management.International career
Nedvěd debuted for the newly reformed Czech national teamCzech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in June 1994 in a 3–1 win over the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. His big break came at the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament, where he was the driving force behind the Czechs' run to the final. He continued to be a regular in midfield and captained the Czech Republic from 2000 onwards. He initially retired from the national team in 2004 following the semifinal defeat to Greece at the Euro 2004 but, after much persuasion from coach Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner is a Czech retired football coach.- Coaching career :Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 in the Czech League and was the coach of his home club SK Sigma Olomouc. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985...
and the team-mates, decided to come out of international retirement just in time for the qualification playoffs against Norway. In Nedvěd and his country's first ever World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
match since the break-up of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
the Czechs impressively won 3-0 in their opening game against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, but suffered injuries to key players and lost their next two group matches against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
and eventual winners Italy, finishing third in their group. Nedvěd had several attempts at goal against Italy but they were saved by Juventus team-mate Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
. Nedvěd announced his retirement permanently after the tournament and refused to reverse his decision despite calls from team-mates and former coach Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner is a Czech retired football coach.- Coaching career :Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 in the Czech League and was the coach of his home club SK Sigma Olomouc. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985...
prior to the Euro 2008.
Personal life
Nedved married his girlfriend Ivana when he was 21, and the couple have two children who carry their same names: Ivana and Pavel. He holds a qualified surveyor diploma. He was contracted to UhlsportUhlsport
Uhlsport is a manufacturer of football equipment. Based in Germany and founded in 1948, the company's products include goalkeeper gloves, football boots, shin pads, footballs, training clothes, and kits....
, but changed his sportswear favourite to Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
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Club statistics
|-|1991/92||Dukla Prague||First League
Czechoslovak First League
The Czechoslovak First League was the premier football league in the Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1993, with the exception of World War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces who formed Gauliga Sudetenland and Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren leagues on occupied territories...
||19||3||||||colspan="2"|-||19||3
|-
|1992/93||Sparta Prague||First League
Czechoslovak First League
The Czechoslovak First League was the premier football league in the Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1993, with the exception of World War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces who formed Gauliga Sudetenland and Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren leagues on occupied territories...
||18||0||||||5||0||23||0
|-
|1993/94||rowspan="3"|Sparta Prague||rowspan="3"|Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus Liga
The Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
||23||3||||||4||0||27||3
|-
|1994/95||27||6||||||2||0||29||6
|-
|1995/96||30||14||||||8||5||38||19
|-
|1996/97||rowspan="5"|Lazio||rowspan="5"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||32||7||3||1||3||2||38||10
|-
|1997/98||26||11||6||2||11||2||43||15
|-
|1998/99||21||1||4||0||8||4||33||5
|-
|1999/00||28||5||6||1||12||1||46||7
|-
|2000/01||31||9||3||1||10||3||44||13
|-
|2001/02||rowspan="8"|Juventus||rowspan="5"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||32||4||4||0||7||0||43||4
|-
|2002/03||29||9||1||0||15||5||45||14
|-
|2003/04||30||6||4||0||6||2||40||8
|-
|2004/05||27||7||1||0||10||3||38||10
|-
|2005/06||33||5||4||0||8||2||45||7
|-
|2006/07||Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
||33||11||3||1||colspan="2"|-||36||12
|-
|2007/08||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||31||2||2||1||colspan="2"|-||33||3
|-
|2008/09||32||7||3||0||9||0||44||7
37||3||||||5||0||42||3
80||23||||||14||5||94||28
385||84||44||7||99||24||528||115
502||110||44||7||118||29||664||146
|}
National team statistics
|-|1994||1||0
|-
|1995||4||0
|-
|1996||12||2
|-
|1997||10||2
|-
|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||9||2
|-
|2000||10||4
|-
|2001||11||4
|-
|2002||6||0
|-
|2003||8||2
|-
|2004||9||0
|-
|2005||2||0
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
!Total||91||18
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 14 June 1996 Anfield AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Liverpool1–0 2–1 Euro 1996 2. 18 September 1996 Na Stínadlech Na StínadlechNa Stinadlech is a multi-purpose stadium in Teplice, Czech Republic. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Teplice. The stadium holds 18,221 and was built in 1973. The Czech Republic national football team often plays qualification games at the stadium and...
, Teplice2–0 6–0 1998 World Cup qualification 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification-Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...3. 17 December 1997 King Fahd II Stadium King Fahd II StadiumKing Fahd International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has athletics facilities.The stadium was built in 1987 and holds 68,000. It also has one of the largest stadium roofs in the world...
, Riyadh2–0 6–1 1997 Confederations Cup 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:...4. 17 December 1997 King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh 
United Arab Emirates 3–0 6–1 1997 Confederations Cup 5. 14 October 1998 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 1–0 4–1 Euro 2000 qualifying 6. 4 September 1999 Žalgiris Stadium Žalgiris StadiumŽalgiris Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Žirmūnai elderate of Vilnius, Lithuania. The stadium holds 15,029 and was being used by the first division 1 Lyga - REO Vilnius...
, Vilnius1–0 4–0 Euro 2000 qualifying 7. 4 September 1999 Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius 
Lithuania 2–0 4–0 Euro 2000 qualifying 8. 26 March 2000 Generali Arena, Prague 1–0 4–1 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...9. 26 March 2000 Generali Arena, Prague 
Israel 3–0 4–1 Friendly 10. 7 October 2000 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 3–0 4–0 2002 World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition....11. 7 October 2000 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 
Iceland 4–0 4–0 2002 World Cup qualification 12. 24 March 2001 Windsor Park Windsor ParkWindsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
, BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
1–0 1–0 2002 World Cup qualification 13. 15 August 2001 Sportovní areál, Drnovice DrnoviceDrnovice is a village and municipality in Vyškov District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 2,278 ....
1–0 5–0 Friendly 14. 6 October 2001 Generali Arena, Prague 2–0 6–0 2002 World Cup qualification 15. 6 October 2001 Generali Arena, Prague 
Bulgaria 6–0 6–0 2002 World Cup qualification 16. 2 April 2003 Toyota Arena Toyota ArenaThe Generali Arena is a football stadium in Prague. It is the home venue of Sparta Prague and often the home stadium of the Czech Republic national football team...
, Prague1–0 4–0 Euro 2004 qualifying 17. 6 September 2003 Dinamo Stadium, Minsk 1–1 3–1 Euro 2004 qualifying 18. 6 September 2006 Toyota Arena, Prague 2–0 3–0 Friendly
Sparta Prague
- Czechoslovak League: 1992–93
- Czech Gambrinus LigaGambrinus LigaThe Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
: 1993–94Gambrinus liga 1993-94Statistics of Gambrinus liga for the 1993/1994 season. This was the first season of a separate Czech league. It started August 14, 1993 and ended June 8, 1994.-League standings:...
, 1994–95 - Czech Republic Football CupCzech Republic Football CupThe Czech Republic Football Cup is the major football cup competition in the Czech Republic. It is organised by the Czech Football Association....
: 1996
Lazio
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 1999–00 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 1997–98, 1999–00 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 19981998 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 1998 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the Serie A 1997-98 winner, and Lazio, the Coppa Italia 1997-98 winner.It was the fourth appearance for Juventus , whereas it was Lazio's first appearance....
, 20002000 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2000 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by the Serie A 1999–2000 winners Lazio and the Coppa Italia 1999–2000 runners-up Internazionale... - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1998–99 - UEFA Super Cup: 19991999 UEFA Super CupThe 1999 UEFA Super Cup was a football match played on 27 August 1999 between the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester United, and Lazio, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup....
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Runner-Up: 1997–98
Juventus
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06 (last two stripped) - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 20022002 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2002 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the Serie A 2001-02 winner, and Parma, the Coppa Italia 2001-02 winner.It was the fifth appearance for Juventus and the fourth for Parma...
, 20032003 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2003 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the Serie A 2002-03 winner, and Milan, the Coppa Italia 2002-03 winner.It was the sixth appearance for Juventus and the seventh for Milan .The match was played in New York, U.S.A..-Match details:-References:... - Serie BSerie BSerie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
: 2006–07 - Runner-Up: UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
2002–03
Individual
- Golden Ball (Czech Republic)Golden Ball (Czech Republic)The Golden Ball is awarded in the Czech Republic by a poll of Czech sport journalists from the Club of Sport Journalists . Eligible are Czech players in the Czech Republic and abroad. Awards for young player and coach of the year are also awarded...
: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009 - Czech Player of the YearCzech Footballer of the YearThe Czech Footballer of the Year is awarded in the Czech Republic by the Football Association of the Czech Republic . Eligible are Czech players in the Czech Republic and abroad...
: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004 - Serie A Footballer of the YearSerie A Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season....
: 2003 - Serie A Foreign Footballer of the YearSerie A Foreign Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the non-Italian footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season. The award is part of the "Oscar del Calcio" awards...
: 2003 - Ballon d'Or: 2003
- Golden FootGolden Foot awardThe Golden Foot award is an international football award, given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality...
: 2004 - UEFA Team of the YearUEFA Team of the YearThe UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
: 2003, 2004, 2005 - ESM Team of the Year: 2002–03
- FIFA 100FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament : 2004
- Největší ČechNejvetší CechNejvětší Čech is the Czech spin-off of the BBC Greatest Britons show; a television poll of the populace to name the greatest Czech in history. The series was broadcast by the national public-service broadcaster, Česká televize...
(List of Greatest Czechs): #41 place
External links
- Official Site
- Juventus profile
- Career profile and stats at FootballDatabase