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Pavel Nedvěd

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

Personal information

Full name

Pavel Nedvěd

Date of birth

30 August 1972 (age 52)

Place of birth

Cheb, Czechoslovakia

Height

1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Team information

Current team

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)

International career

1992–1993

Czechoslovakia U21

(0)

1994–2006

Czech Republic

(18)

Medal record

Men's football

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

*Club domestic league appearances and 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 important trophies with Italian clubs Lazio and Juventus.

Nedvěd was a key player for the Czech Republic. He helped them reach the final of UEFA Euro 1996. This made big European clubs notice him. He also led the team as captain at UEFA Euro 2004. There, they reached the semi-finals. Nedvěd was even named in 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" (meaning Czech Fury). This was because of his fast and energetic runs during matches. In Czech, his nickname is Méďa (Little Bear). This comes from how his last name sounds like the Czech word for bear, Medvěd.

In 2003, Nedvěd won the Ballon d'Or award. He was the second Czech player to win it. He also received 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.

Playing for Clubs

Early Career in Czechoslovakia

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

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

Success with Sparta Prague

At Sparta Prague, Nedvěd quickly became a strong player. He helped Sparta win one Czechoslovak First League title. He also won two Czech First League titles and a Czech Cup. In 1994, he was called up to play for the Czech Republic national team for the first time.

His great performance at UEFA Euro 1996 caught the eye of big clubs. He even scored a goal against Italy in the group stage. Even though he had a verbal agreement with PSV, Nedvěd decided to move to the Italian club Lazio.

Time at Lazio

Nedvěd joined Lazio in 1996. He made his league debut on 7 September 1996. He scored his first league goal for Lazio on 20 October 1996. He quickly became a very important player for the team.

In the 1997–98 season, Lazio won the 1997–98 Coppa Italia. They also reached the final of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. The next season, Lazio started by winning the Supercoppa Italiana. Nedvěd scored a goal as they beat Juventus 2–1. He also played a big part in Lazio winning the last-ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. He scored the winning goal in the final against Mallorca, making it 2–1. This was the very last goal scored in that tournament.

In 1999, Nedvěd was one of the highest-paid footballers in Italy. Lazio also won the 1999 UEFA Super Cup against Manchester United. In 2000, the club won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia. This meant they won two major trophies in one season. Nedvěd also won the Supercoppa Italiana with Lazio again in 2000.

Nedvěd played in the UEFA Champions League with Lazio. He scored against Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw. Even though he signed a new contract in April 2001, Lazio decided to sell him.

Moving to Juventus

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 Scudetto (Italian league title) in 2001–02 and 2002–03.

Nedvěd (left) joined Juventus in 2001.

Nedvěd led Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final against Milan. However, he could not play in the final. This was because 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. He was out for two months due to injuries. Juventus won the Serie A titles in 2005 and 2006. However, these titles were later taken away. After the 2005–06 season, Juventus was moved down to Serie B. Many star players left the club. But Nedvěd decided to stay and help Juventus get back to Serie A. He scored 11 league goals in the 2006–07 Serie B season.

Nedvěd playing for Juventus in training, July 2007

For the 2007–08 season, Juventus was back in Serie A. Nedvěd played often as the team's left winger. He scored two goals that season. In April 2008, he had to go to the hospital overnight after a collision during a match.

Nedvěd scored Juventus' first league goal of the 2008–09 season. On 26 February 2009, he announced he would retire at the end of the season. He wanted to spend more time with his family. On 10 March 2009, he played his last European match for Juventus. Nedvěd retired at the end of the season. He captained his final match against his old team, Lazio. He helped Juventus win 2–0. As of July 2025, Nedvěd has played the most matches for Juventus as a non-Italian player (327).

Playing for FK Skalná

On 23 September 2017, Nedvěd joined FK Skalná. This club is in his hometown village of Skalná. The club chairman said it was Pavel's dream to play with his son. Nedvěd played one match for the team on 2 June 2018. He was in the starting line-up, but Skalná lost 1–4. Neither Nedvěd nor his son scored a goal.

International Career

Early International Matches

Nedvěd started playing for Czechoslovakia 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 played seven times between 1992 and 1993.

Nedvěd 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 goal for the senior team there. He also helped his team reach the final.

Euro 1996 Performance

The Czech Republic was not expected to do well at Euro 1996. But Nedvěd helped them surprise everyone. He scored his first goal for his country in a group match against Italy. The Czech Republic won that game 2–1. Nedvěd played well throughout the tournament.

He 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. The Czechs lost their first two matches. They were out of the tournament after two games. After Euro 2000, Nedvěd became the captain of the national team.

Euro 2004 and Retirement

Nedvěd was very important in the Euro 2004 group stage match against the Netherlands. The Czechs were losing 2–0, but Nedvěd played amazingly. He helped them come back to win 3–2. He was named man of the match.

In the semi-final against Greece, Nedvěd had to leave the game because of a knee injury. Greece won the match. After the tournament, Nedvěd announced he was retiring from the national team. He was named to the Team of the Tournament.

2006 World Cup

Nedvěd was convinced by his coach and teammates 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 World Cup. The Czechs won their first match 3–0 against the United States. But they lost their next two group matches. Nedvěd's shots on goal against Italy were saved by his Juventus teammate Gianluigi Buffon. Nedvěd announced his retirement from international football again after the World Cup. He played his 91st and final match in August 2006. In total, Nedvěd played 91 games and scored 18 goals for his country.

How He Played

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, setting up goals for others.

He was known for his strong and accurate shots. He also had amazing speed, which let him make deep runs from the middle of the field. He was 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 protect his team's defense. His former Lazio coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson, called him a "totally complete" midfielder.

After Playing Football

Running and Awards

After retiring, Nedvěd ran the Prague Half Marathon in 2010. 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 banned from attending Serie A matches for three weeks. This was because he 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.

On 28 November 2022, the entire Juventus board of directors resigned. This was due to a financial investigation. On 20 January 2023, Nedvěd was suspended from holding office in Italian football for eight months. This was because of his involvement in the investigation.

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.

Nedvěd's autobiography was published in Italian in 2010. Its title was La mia vita normale. Di corsa tra rivoluzione, Europa e Pallone d'oro. It was translated into Czech in 2011 as Můj obyčejný život.

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