Pavel Nedvěd

Who is Pavel Nedvěd?

Pavel Nedvěd is a retired Czech footballer who played as a midfielder. He is one of the most successful players to emerge from the Czech Republic, winning accolades with Lazio and Juventus. Nedvěd was a key member of the Czech team which reached the final of UEFA Euro 1996, during which he attracted international attention, and captained the national team at the Euro 2004. Known for his speed, endurance, dribbling, shooting and goal-scoring, Nedvěd was nicknamed Furia Ceca by Italian fans and The Czech cannon in English-language media.

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. During his career Nedvěd received a number of other individual awards, including the second Golden Foot award in 2004, Czech Footballer of the Year and the Golden Ball. He retired following the 2008–09 season, after a 19-year professional career. Nedvěd played 501 league matches at the club level, and was capped 91 times for the Czech Republic.