Pavel Nedved was born in the town of Cheb, near Prague, the capital of former Czechoslovakia. Parents Vaclav and Ana raised Pavel along with his older sister and encouraged him to become an accountant. By the age of 19, Nedved debuted with Dukla Praga and less than a season later he was recruited by rivals Sparta. At Sparta, success also came promptly and the club took three consecutive league titles between 1992 to 1995. Nedved's consistent performances earned him a spot in the national squad of the Czech Republic and in June 1994 he debuted at a 3-1 victory over Ireland.
At Euro 1996, Nedved was instrumental in his country's silver medals. This gave him the international exposure needed for transfer in a big club. After the tournament, he was purchased by Lazio. In Rome, Nedved won the Coppa Italia in 1998 and the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup against Mallorca. By 2001, Nedved's presence was significantly felt in Italy as well as across Europe. The Czech scored regularly in club competition and his work rate was startling even at the international level.

This did not go unnoticed attracting Italian grand Juventus, which at that time had just sold their star playmaker Zidane. In 2001, Juve paid 41.2 Million Euro for Nedved. He quickly assumed the role of an engine in his new team, compensating with tenacity for the missing Zidane. Pavel's efforts played a big role as Juventus won the Scudetto in 2001/02 and 2002/03. In the 2002/03 season, Juve reached the Champions League final with Nedved scoring five goals along the way. Ironically, the Czech missed the final match due to an accumulation of yellow cards and his team lost at penalties. Even although Juventus did not take the Champs League trophy, Nedved was so impressive in his efforts during the 2002/03 season that UEFA made the rare decision to award him the Golden Ball as the top European footballer.
Babyface midfielder Nedved is renowned for his tremendously high work rate and dedication. He has good vision and applies himself across the entire pitch. Nedved's skills are also above average. He can efficiently dribble, pass and has a fierce long-range shot. Calcio defenders often take him down because they can't prevent him from winning 50-50 battles through his pace. Defensively, Nedved is very combative and often produces turnovers for his team. Few are the players like Pavel Nedved who possess both physical prowess and good ball skills.

Quick Facts

Name	Pavel Nedved
Starting Number	#11
Born	30 August 1972 in Cheb, Czechoslovakia
Nationality	Czech
Height	170 cm / 5'9" feet
Weight	70 kg / 165 pounds
Family Status	Married to childhood sweetheart Ivana with daughter Ivanka and son Pavel
Foot	Left
Teams	Dukla (Prague) Sparta (Prague) Lazio (Italy) Juventus (Italy)
Nicknames	The Rocket The Czech Cannon
Hobbies	Tennis and wine collecting
Skills	Long-range shooting, pace, stamina

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