#7 Pavel Nedved – € 41.2m
Probably the greatest player to have emerged from the Czech Republic till date, Nedved was the reason Juventus paid Lazio €41.2 million in the summer of 2001/02. Nedved won a host of individual honours during his time at Juventus, including the UEFA Best Player in Europe in 2003, and the Ballon D’Or in the same year. These awards cemented his place amongst the world’s best
Nedved was the catalysing force behind Juventus’ string of Serie A titles in 2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06, despite A.C. Milan having an arguably better squad at their disposal. He also won the Serie A with Lazio in the 1999/2000 season. Nedved came close but did not quite succeed in getting his hands on the Champions League, as Juventus finished runners-up in 2002/03.
International success similarly eluded him, as the Czech Republic lost the Euro 1996 final agonisingly to Germany. Nedved was a dedicated servant for Juventus, and fans of the Turin outfit still remember the creative maestro with a tinge of pride and fondness.
