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Pavel Nedvěd

Nedvěd playing for the Czech Republic at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Personal information

Date of birth

30 August 1972 (age 52)

Place of birth

Cheb, Czechoslovakia

Height

1.77 m

Playing position

Midfielder

Club information

Current club

Al Shabab (sporting director)

Youth career

1977–1985

TJ Skalná

1985–1986

RH Cheb

1986–1990

Škoda Plzeň

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1990–1992

Škoda Plzeň

(0)

1990–1992

→ Dukla Prague (loan)

(3)

1992–1996

Sparta Prague

(23)

1996–2001

Lazio

138

(33)

2001–2009

Juventus

247

(51)

Total

501

(110)

National team

1992–1993

Czechoslovakia U21

(0)

1994–2006

Czech Republic

(18)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Czech Republic
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up	1996 England
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third	1997 Saudi Arabia

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Pavel Nedvěd (born 30 August 1972) is a famous Czech former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and is known as one of the greatest Czech players ever. He won many trophies with Italian clubs Lazio and Juventus.

Nedvěd won the very last Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio. He also led Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. He was a key player for the Czech Republic when they reached the final of UEFA Euro 1996. This made big European clubs notice him.

He also captained the Czech team at UEFA Euro 2004. They lost in the semi-final to Greece, who later won the tournament. Nedvěd was chosen for the Team of the Tournament. He also helped his team get to the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the first time since Czechoslovakia split up.

Italian football fans called him "Furia Ceca" ("Czech Fury") because of his fast and energetic runs. In Czech, his nickname is Méďa ("Little Bear"). This comes from his last name, which sounds like the Czech word for bear, Medvěd.

In 2003, Nedvěd won the Ballon d'Or, a huge award for footballers. He was the second Czech player to win it and the first since Czechoslovakia became separate countries. He also won many other awards. These include the Golden Foot in 2004, Czech Footballer of the Year four times, and the Golden Ball six times. Pelé also named him one of the FIFA 100 best living players. Nedvěd was part of the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

He stopped playing professional football after the 2008–09 season. Nedvěd played 501 league matches for clubs, scoring 110 goals. He played 91 times for the Czech Republic, scoring 18 goals.

Amazing Club Career

Early Days in Czech Football

Pavel Nedvěd was born on 30 August 1972 in Cheb, Czechoslovakia. He grew up in a nearby village called Skalná. Pavel loved football from a young age. He started playing for his hometown club, Tatran Skalná, in 1977 when he was just five years old.

In 1985, Nedvěd moved to Rudá Hvězda Cheb. He played there for one season. Then, he spent five years with Škoda Plzeň. In 1990, Nedvěd was loaned to Dukla Prague. This club was run by the Army, and he played there as part of his military service.

He played his first match for Dukla Prague on 28 October 1991. After one season with Dukla, his loan ended. He then moved to Sparta Prague in 1992.

Success with Sparta Prague

When Nedvěd first joined Sparta, he sometimes got sent off. But he quickly became a key player. With Sparta, Nedvěd won one Czechoslovak First League title. He also won two Gambrinus liga titles and a Czech Cup.

In 1994, he was called up to play for the Czech Republic national team. His great performance at UEFA Euro 1996 caught everyone's eye. He even scored a goal against Italy in the group stage. After Euro 1996, Nedvěd moved from Sparta Prague to the Italian club Lazio.

Winning Trophies with Lazio

Nedvěd played his first league game for Lazio on 7 September 1996. He scored his first league goal for the club on 20 October 1996. He ended his first season with seven goals. He quickly became a very important player for the team.

In the 1997–98 season, Lazio had an amazing 24-match unbeaten streak. That season, Lazio won the 1997–98 Coppa Italia (Italian Cup). They also reached the final of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup.

Nedvěd and Lazio started the 1998–99 season by winning the Supercoppa Italiana. Nedvěd scored as they beat Juventus 2–1. He helped Lazio reach the final of the last-ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, Nedvěd scored the winning goal against Mallorca. Lazio won 2–1, and this was the last goal ever scored in that tournament.

In 1999, Nedvěd was one of the highest-paid players in Italy. Lazio won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia in 2000. This was a "domestic double" (winning two major national trophies). He also won the Supercoppa Italiana with Lazio again in 2000.

Nedvěd played in the UEFA Champions League with Lazio. He signed a new four-year contract with Lazio in April 2001. But the club decided to sell him that summer.

Becoming a Legend at Juventus

Nedvěd (left) was signed by Juventus in 2001 to replace Zinedine Zidane.

After five seasons with Lazio, Nedvěd joined Juventus in July 2001. He took the place of Zinedine Zidane, who had moved to Real Madrid. Nedvěd was a regular player for Juventus. He helped them win the Italian league title (Scudetto) in the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons.

He was a big part of Juventus reaching the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. However, he could not play in the final. He had received too many yellow cards in earlier matches.

In December 2003, Nedvěd was named World Footballer of the Year by World Soccer magazine. Later that month, he won the European Footballer of the Year award. He was the second Czech player to win this award. He also won the Czech Golden Ball award for the fifth time in seven years.

The 2004–05 season was tough for Nedvěd due to injuries. Juventus won the Serie A titles in 2005 and 2006. However, these titles were later taken away because of a match-fixing scandal. After the 2005–06 season, Juventus was moved down to Serie B (a lower league). Many star players left the club.

But Nedvěd decided to stay with Juventus. He wanted to help them get back to Serie A. He scored 11 league goals in the 2006–07 Serie B season. Juventus returned to Serie A for the 2007–08 season. Nedvěd played often as a left winger.

Nedvěd playing for Juventus in training, July 2007

On 26 February 2009, Nedvěd announced he would retire at the end of the 2008–09 season. He wanted to spend more time with his family. His last European match for Juventus was on 10 March 2009. Nedvěd retired at the end of the season. He captained his final match against his old team, Lazio. He helped set up a goal for a 2–0 victory.

Playing for His Hometown Club

On 23 September 2017, Nedvěd joined FK Skalná. This club is in his hometown village of Skalná. The club's chairman said it was Pavel's dream to play with his son. Nedvěd was in the starting lineup for a match on 2 June 2018. However, Skalná lost the game 1–4, and neither Nedvěd nor his son scored. This was likely a one-time event.

International Career Highlights

Nedvěd started playing for Czechoslovakia's youth teams in 1988. He played for the under-15, 16, 17, and 18 age groups. In 1992, he played for the under-21 team.

He made his debut for the new Czech Republic national team in June 1994. They won 3–1 against the Republic of Ireland. His first big tournament was Euro 1996. He scored his first international goal and helped his team reach the final.

Euro 1996 Journey

At Euro 1996, the Czech Republic was not expected to do well. But Nedvěd scored his first international goal against Italy. The Czech Republic won that match 2–1. Nedvěd played in the third group match against Russia. The Czechs tied 3–3 and moved to the next stage.

Nedvěd missed the quarter-final match against Portugal due to a suspension. But the Czechs won without him. In the semi-final against France, Nedvěd was named man of the match. The Czech Republic won after a penalty shoot-out. Nedvěd scored his team's second penalty. In the final, the Czech Republic lost 2–1 to Germany.

Euro 2000 and Captaincy

Before Euro 2000, Nedvěd had an ankle injury. In the first match, the Czechs lost 1–0 to the Netherlands. In the second match, against France, Nedvěd was fouled. The Czechs scored a penalty, but France won 2–1. After two matches, the Czechs were out of the tournament. After Euro 2000, Nedvěd became the captain of the national team.

Euro 2004 Performance

Nedvěd was amazing in the Euro 2004 group match against the Netherlands. The Czechs were losing 2–0, but Nedvěd played incredibly well. He helped the Czechs come back to win 3–2. He was named man of the match.

In the semi-final against Greece, Nedvěd got a knee injury and had to leave the game. Greece defeated the Czechs. After the tournament, Nedvěd announced he was retiring from the national team. He was chosen for the Team of the Tournament.

2006 World Cup Appearance

Coach Karel Brückner and his teammates convinced Nedvěd to come out of retirement. He played in the 2006 World Cup qualification playoffs against Norway. The Czech Republic qualified for the World Cup for the first time since Czechoslovakia split up.

Nedvěd was able to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The Czechs won their first match 3–0 against the United States. But key players got injured. They lost their next two group matches and finished third in their group. Nedvěd's goal against Ghana was ruled offside. His shots against Italy were saved by his Juventus teammate Gianluigi Buffon.

Nedvěd announced his retirement from international football again after the World Cup. His last game was in August 2006 against Serbia. He played 91 games and scored 18 goals for his country.

Pavel Nedvěd's Playing Style

Pavel Nedvěd is seen as one of the best Czech players ever. He usually played as a wide midfielder or a left-winger. He was great at crossing the ball with his left foot. He could also cut inside and shoot with his right foot.

Sometimes, he played as a playmaker. This was because he could pass the ball very well and had great vision. He was also known for his powerful and accurate shots. His explosive speed allowed him to make strong runs from the midfield. He was also good at taking free-kicks and penalty kicks.

Nedvěd was easy to spot on the field because of his long blonde hair. He was also known for his strong tackling and hard work. This helped him win the ball back and support his team's defenders. His former Lazio coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson, called him "an unusual midfielder, totally complete."

Life After Football

Nedvěd in a 2014 charity match

After retiring from football, Nedvěd ran the Prague Half Marathon in 2010. It was his first marathon, and he finished it in 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 44 seconds. He also ran the 2012 Prague Marathon.

In February 2012, Nedvěd was named International Personality at the FAI International Football Awards. In January 2013, he was not allowed to attend Serie A matches for three weeks. This was because he had insulted a referee during a Juventus match.

Working as a Director

On 12 October 2010, Nedvěd was chosen to be part of Juventus' board of directors. On 23 October 2015, he became the vice chairman of the board of directors.

On 28 November 2022, the entire Juventus board of directors resigned. This was due to issues with how the club handled some financial matters. On 20 January 2023, Nedvěd was suspended from holding office in Italian football for eight months.

On 8 January 2025, Nedvěd became the sporting director of the Saudi club Al Shabab.

Personal Life

Pavel Nedvěd lived with his wife Ivana since 1992. They have two children, also named Ivana and Pavel. The couple separated in 2019. Nedvěd then started dating an equestrian.

In 2010, Nedvěd's autobiography was published in Italian. It was called La mia vita normale. Di corsa tra rivoluzione, Europa e Pallone d'oro. It was translated into Czech in 2011.

Career Statistics

Club

Sources: League matches, Coppa Italia stats at Juventus, European competition stats

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Dukla Prague	1991–92	Czechoslovak First League	19	3			—		—		19	3
Sparta Prague	1992–93	Czechoslovak First League	17	0			5	0	—		22	0
	1993–94	Czech First League	23	3			4	0	—		27	3
	1994–95	Czech First League	27	6			2	0	—		29	6
	1995–96	Czech First League	30	14			8	4	—		38	19
	Total		97	23			19	5	0	0	116	28
Lazio	1996–97	Serie A	32	7	3	1	3	2	—		38	10
	1997–98	Serie A	26	11	6	2	11	2	—		43	15
	1998–99	Serie A	21	1	4	0	8	4	1	1	34	6
	1999–2000	Serie A	28	5	6	1	12	1	1	0	47	7
	2000–01	Serie A	31	9	3	1	10	3	1	0	45	13
	Total		138	33	22	5	44	12	3	1	207	51
Juventus	2001–02	Serie A	32	4	4	0	7	0	—		38	10
	2002–03	Serie A	29	9	1	0	15	5	1	0	43	14
	2003–04	Serie A	30	6	4	0	6	2	1	0	34	6
	2004–05	Serie A	27	7	1	0	10	3	—		47	7
	2005–06	Serie A	33	5	4	0	8	2	1	0	45	13
	2006–07	Serie B	33	11	3	1	—		—		36	12
	2007–08	Serie A	31	2	2	1	—		—		33	3
	2008–09	Serie A	32	7	3	0	9	0	—		44	7
	Total		247	51	22	2	55	12	3	0	327	65
Career total			501	110	44	7	118	29	6	1	669	147

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Czech Republic	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

Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nedvěd goal.

List of international goals scored by Pavel Nedvěd
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	14 June 1996	Anfield, Liverpool, England	Italy	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 1996
2	18 September 1996	Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic	Malta	2–0	6–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	17 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	United Arab Emirates	2–0	6–1	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
4	17 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	United Arab Emirates	3–0	6–1	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
5	14 October 1998	Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic	Estonia	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
6	4 September 1999	Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania	Lithuania	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
7	4 September 1999	Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania	Lithuania	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
8	26 March 2000	Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Israel	1–0	4–1	Friendly
9	26 March 2000	Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Israel	3–0	4–1	Friendly
10	7 October 2000	Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic	Iceland	3–0	4–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	7 October 2000	Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic	Iceland	4–0	4–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	24 March 2001	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	1–0	1–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
13	15 August 2001	Sportovní areál, Drnovice, Czech Republic	South Korea	1–0	5–0	Friendly
14	6 October 2001	Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Bulgaria	2–0	6–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	6 October 2001	Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Bulgaria	6–0	6–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	2 April 2003	Toyota Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Austria	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
17	6 September 2003	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	1–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
18	6 June 2006	Toyota Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Trinidad and Tobago	2–0	3–0	Friendly