Nedved to stay at Juventus

Juventus have confirmed that their star Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved has signed a one-year extension with the club and shall stay on until the summer of 2009.

Pavel Nedved’s previous contract was due to expire this summer and the player was speculated to be contemplating retiring from the game altogether.

However, negotiations between the player and the cub went well and Nedved was persuaded to stay on at the Old Lady of Turn for one more season.

Pavel Nedved has been a Juventus player since the 2001-2002 season and his tremendous performances in the 2002-2003 season for Juve when he led the cub to a scudetto triumph and to the final of the UEFA Champions League saw him win the Ballon d’Or in 2003.

Nedved was also one of the few star names to linger on at Juve in the aftermath of the 2006 calciopoli scandal. As a punishment, Juventus were relegated to the Italian Serie B but Nedved said right form the start of the proceedings that he shall stick onto the club even if they were to play lowly second division football.

The Juventus supporters and club officials alike therefore have taken much to him. The one- year contract extension was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon after the former Czech international midfielder met Juventus’ managing director Jean-Claude Blanc after training.

The papers were signed in the afternoon after which Mr. Blanc remarked:

“The extension to Nedved’s contract is the best way to start our campaign to strengthen the team before the next season. Pavel has written pivotal pages in the history of Juventus and will continue to provide the team with character and quality.

“His experience, class and determination are a certainty for his team-mates, manager and supporters.”

Nedved had this to say about extending his healthy and intimate relationship with the Italian giants who are due to play UAFA Champions League football agains next season after finishing third in the Italian Serie A table this season:

“Behind my decision is the awareness of having lived seven extraordinary years and the desire to once again live the European experience with I team I feel strongly connected to.

“I wish to thank our supporters for the warmth they greeted me with, my team mates for the esteem they expressed for me in the last few days and the club which has chosen to continue to entrust me with an important role.”