Pavel Nedved

Czech Fury who conquered Italy and Europe.

Pavel Nedvěd (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpavɛl ˈnɛdvjɛt] ; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time.

Quick Facts

Born: 30 August 1972
Birthplace: Cheb, Czechoslovakia
Height: 1.77 m / 5 ft 10 in
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Al Shabab (sporting director)
Total caps: 501

Lore & Background

Nedvěd won numerous trophies with Italian clubs Lazio and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio. He also led Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. Nedvěd was a vital player in the Czech team that reached the final of Euro 1996, after which he attracted the attention of big European clubs. He also captained the team at UEFA Euro 2004, where they were defeated in the semi-final by eventual champions Greece, and where Nedvěd was named in the Team of the Tournament. He helped his team qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the first time since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. Due to his quick and energetic runs during matches, Nedvěd was nicknamed 'Furia Ceca' (lit. 'Czech Fury') by Italian football fans. His nickname in Czech is Méďa (lit. 'Little Bear'), stemming from the similarity between his surname and the Czech word for bear, medvěd.

Reader's Guide

Nedvěd won the Ballon d'Or in 2003, becoming the second Czech player to win the award after Josef Masopust, and the first since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. During his career, Nedvěd received many other individual awards, including the second Golden Foot award for best footballer worldwide in 2004; the Czech Football Association's Czech Footballer of the Year four times; and the Czech Sports Journalists' Golden Ball for best Czech footballer six times. He was also named by Pelé as one of the FIFA 100 and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Nedvěd retired from professional football after the 2008–09 season. Nedvěd played 501 league matches at club level, scoring 110 goals, and was capped 91 times for the Czech Republic, scoring 18 goals.

Did You Know?

Nedvěd scored the decisive goal in the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Mallorca for Lazio's 2–1 victory.
Nedvěd was sent off three times in just six matches early in his career at Sparta Prague.
Nedvěd quit the Italian Footballers' Association in protest of the union's limit on non-EU players; his native Czech Republic did not become an EU member until 2004.