Lazio clinched the Italian league and cup double the following season and Nedved, the club's best player, transferred to Juventus in a deal worth US$51.2 million (euro40.7 million) in 2001.

Nedved's combative attitude and determination, accompanied by brilliant ball and passing skills and lethal long-range shooting, made him a leader at Juventus. He took over there from the seemingly irreplaceable Zinedine Zidane, who had transferred to Real Madrid.

He led Juventus to the Serie A championship in 2002, 2003, 2005 and this season. He was instrumental in the Italian superpower's elimination of Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals in 2003, but missed the final game due to yellow cards.

In its second game in Group E, one of "the toughest", the Czech Republic faces Ghana, which lost to Italy 2-0 in its opener on Monday, an opponent "even a bit more difficult" for Nedved than the United States.

"I watched highlights of their game against Italy and I think it was an excellent match, one of the best here so far."

"It will be a great fight of two even sides and only details will decide its outcome," Nedved predicted.