PAVEL NEDVED
Pavel Nedvěd (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpavɛl ˈnɛdvjɛt] (About this sound listen); born 30 August 1972) is a Czech retired footballer who played predominantly as a wide midfielder.A complete, tenacious and consistent two-footed player,[86][87] Nedvěd 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 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 earning him the nickname "Furia Ceca" ("Czech Fury", or also "Blind Fury" in Italian) by Italian fans and the "the Czech cannon" He won the Ballon d'Or as European Footballer of the Year in 2003.
On 28 October 1991, Nedvěd played his first match for Dukla Prague.[6] He played one season for Dukla in 1991 before finishing his military service, thus ending his loan from Plzeň. He then transferred to Sparta Prague in 1992. With Sparta, Nedvěd won one Czechoslovak First League title, two Gambrinus liga titles and a Czech Cup. Nedvěd moved from Sparta Prague to Italian Serie A club Lazio where he won the 1997–98 Coppa Italia and reached the final of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. Nedvěd and Lazio began the 1998–99 season with a victory in the Supercoppa Italiana, and the 1999 Uefa Cup Winners Cup. He played in the 1999 UEFA Super Cup against Manchester United at the beginning of the season, where Lazio won the match by a single goal.The club went on to win the Serie A title and Coppa Italia, completing a domestic double in 2000 with Nedvěd's help. In 2000, he won the Supercoppa Italiana with Lazio for a second time before being controversially sold in 2001, in spite of fan protests. At Juventus, he replaced Zinedine Zidane, who had transferred to Real Madrid that summer. Nedvěd was a regular on Juventus' 2001–02 and 2002–03 Scudetto-winning teams. He was instrumental in leading Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final against Milan, but had to sit out the final due to an accumulation of yellow cards - Juventus lost on penalties. The 2004–05 season was frustrating for the midfielder, who was sidelined for two months by knee and head injuries[46] 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 and they were forced to drop to Serie B, with Nedved vowing to stay loyal. He retired at the end of the 2008-09 season, but briefly played for his hometown club FK Skalna.
The midfielder debuted for the re-formed Czech Republic national team in June 1994 in a 3–1 win over the Republic of Ireland.[61] His first major tournament was Euro 1996, where he scored his first senior international goal and helped his team reach the final with a MOTM display in the semi final. He was also part of the Czech team which placed third in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, defeating Uruguay in the third-place match. Before Euro 2000, Nedvěd was unable to train normally due to an ankle injury and his performance was relatively subdued as the Czechs were eliminated at the group stage. Nedvěd was instrumental in the Euro 2004 run to the semi finals, but was subbed in the semi after a knee injury. The Czechs struggled to overcome Greece and despite winning the hearts of many, suffered a great upset. After their exit from the tournament, Nedvěd announced his retirement from the national team;he was named to the Team of the Tournament. The midfielder was persuaded by coach Karel Brückner and his teammates to come out of international retirement in time for the 2006 World Cup qualification playoff and he played well at the respective world cup, although he was unable to take the Czechs out of the group stage. Thus prompting him to retire once and for all.