Nedved Pavel
Pavel Nedvěd is a Czech retired footballer who played as a midfielder. Described as one of the best footballers of his generation, he is also regarded as one of the most successful players to emerge from the Czech Republic, winning domestic and European accolades with Italian clubs Lazio (including the last Cup Winners’ Cup) and Juventus (whom he led to the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final). Nedvěd was a key member of the Czech team which reached the final of Euro 1996, during which he attracted international attention. He also captained the national team at Euro 2004, where they were defeated in the semi-final by eventual champions Greece, and Nedvěd was named as part of the Team of the Tournament. Furthermore, Nedvěd helped his team qualify for the World Cup for the first time since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. Nedved was a complete, tenacious and consistent two-footed player. Nedved frequently played as a left-sided, offensive wide midfielder or as a left-winger throughout his career, due to his crossing ability with his left foot, as well as due to his ability to cut inside and shoot with his right foot, although he was capable of playing anywhere in midfield due to his offensive and defensive work-rate. He was also deployed as a central midfielder on occasion, as well as in an attacking midfield and playmaking role, or as a supporting striker, where he excelled as an assist-man due to his excellent dribbling ability, passing range, and vision. Primarily known for his powerful shots and volleys from distance, as well as his stamina, he was also noted for his speed, endurance, technique, and goal-scoring ability. He was also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker.
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This shirt was worn by Pavel Nedved during the Serie A game between Juventus and Lazio which took place in Torino, “Stadio Delle Alpi”, on June 1st 1997. Lazio draw 2-2 and at the end of the game Nedved swapped his shirt with a Juventus player whom we got it from. Nedvěd made his league debut for Lazio on 7 September 1996 in a 1–0 away defeat against Bologna. He scored his first league goal for the club against Cagliari on 20 October 1996, finishing the 1996–97 season with seven goals.
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2000-2001 was the season of the S.S. Lazio’s centenary. A white celebrating shirt with a 100’s logo on chest was used by the team. But something on the shirt was very weird. The scudetto badge was sewn on a Puma logo on chest which is not visible. The reason? Puma made this style of shirt some months before the end of the Serie A 1999-2000. But they couldn’t expect that Lazio was going to win the title so the Puma logo was on left side. Once the team won the Scudetto, Lazio wanted to have the Scudetto on regular left side. So Puma added a new Puma logo in the middle chest and let the Scudetto badge covering the previous one.
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On the field, the side coached by Marcello Lippi had a relatively slow start to the league season. They remained unbeaten in the first 12 games, but this included five draws. The club’s form suffered a blip at the beginning of autumn with two draws and two consecutive defeats, to Brescia and Lazio, between 23 November and 15 December. At this point of the season, with 14 games played, Juventus were fourth in Serie A, trailing Inter, Lazio and AC Milan. On 22 December, a late Mauro Camoranesi goal at Perugia was needed to put an end to this winless streak. From this moment on, the Bianconeri gained a momentum they sustained going into the new year, winning nine of their next ten games. Unfortunately, the only fixture they failed to win during this period, a 1–1 draw against Atalanta in early February, was marred by a serious injury to Alessandro Del Piero, at a time when he had rediscovered his goalscoring touch. Del Piero missed two months of football following that injury. Even in his absence, la Vecchia Signora continued to prevail, though in a less dominant fashion. On 2 March, Juventus thrashed Inter 3–0, a result that took the club to top spot in the league, a position it would never leave. After that game, the Bianconeri lost only two more of their remaining games and won most of the remainder, including an important success over Roma, who had been something of a bogey side for the Turin club in previous years. The 27th league title of Juve’s history was confirmed on 10 May, following a 2–2 draw with Perugia. With two games to go, second-placed Inter were no longer in a position to challenge for the scudetto, despite again spending big in the previous summer.
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Pavel Nedved was one of the “big” Juventus players to remain with the team after the 2006 Serie B issue. After the World Cup he dispelled rumours about his departure by reiterating his desire to help Juventus regain promotion to Serie A, citing his family and his commitment to the club as reasons for his decision.
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In 2003 Pavel Nedved won the Golden Ball. Winning the Ballon d’Or as European Footballer of the Year in 2003, Nedvěd was the second Czech player to receive the honour and the first since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. He was also named World Footballer of the Year by World Soccer. Nedvěd received further recognition in his home country when he won the 2004 Golden Ball, awarded by Czech sportswriters, for the fifth time in seven years.
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The 2004–05 season was frustrating for the midfielder, who was sidelined for two months by knee and head injuries and first considered retirement in April 2005.Although Juventus won Serie A titles that year and in 2006, the titles were revoked after the Calciopoli match fixing scandal.
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The 2007–08 season was Juventus Football Club’s 110th in existence and first season back in the top flight of Italian football. Claudio Ranieri was appointed the new manager following the resignation of Didier Deschamps. With the club back in Serie A, new signings such as Czech international Zdeněk Grygera, Portuguese midfielder Tiago Mendes and Sergio Almirón were brought in to strengthen the squad while promising youngsters such as Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie were sent out on loan or co-ownership deals. Juventus finished third that season to qualify for next season’s Champions League, their first participation in that competition since 2005-06. Notable results included victories over rivals A.S. Roma, Inter, A.C. Milan and Lazio in the second half of the season.
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Nedvěd was nicknamed Furia Ceca by Italian fans, who noted his skill, consistency and verve, as well as his stamina, pace, power, and determination. In the English-language media, he was called “the Czech cannon”. His former Lazio boss Sven-Göran Eriksson described him as “an atypical midfielder, totally complete”. Despite his ability and tenacious playing style, Nedvěd was also criticised by some in the sport for going to ground too easily when challenged
