Nedvěd's 'retirement' seems flexible

Soccer season is over, prompting the off-season rumor mill to start churning.

The biggest question in the Czech Republic is whether soccer icon Pavel Nedvěd will ever again appear on the pitch. Nedvěd, arguably the best Czech player of all time, confirmed May 31 that the game between Juventus and Lazio in the Italian Serie A was his last for Juventus. But doubts remain over whether the midfielder will retire altogether.

"I've retired today," Nedvěd said moments after the game.

One day after his arguably last appearance, the 36-year-old midfielder himself admitted that he was not certain about his future.

"I'll take a three-month holiday and, in the meantime, consider what to do next," Nedvěd said.

Nedvěd's agent Mino Raiola revealed he had offers from clubs in the United States, United Arab Emirates, England and Spain. "Lots of teams want him, and I won't give up until I see his boots hung up Sept. 1," Raiola said.

Nedvěd himself admits that some of the offers could be intriguing.

"If the agent presents me with an interesting offer to play some good soccer ... I can't say I'd reject it," Nedvěd said.

In fact, it's not the first time Nedvěd has cast doubts on his future plans. He has twice previously retired from the Czech national team, first after Euro 2004 in Portugal and then after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and he helped fuel the speculation of another comeback before the Euro 2008 finals in Switzerland and Austria last summer.

Nedvěd announced earlier this spring that he would end his stunning career in which he became only the second Czech in history to have won the Golden Ball trophy for Europe's best player in 2003. Throughout this spring, he repeatedly confirmed that he would retire from soccer at the end of the season. "I will quit at the end of the season, no matter how well we do in the Champions League or Serie A," Nedvěd said in April.

Nedvěd was scheduled to talk at a press conference May 29 but it was eventually canceled by his club, Juventus. Instead, the club posted Nedvěd's announcement on its Web site: "After eight seasons with Juventus, the time has come to say goodbye to all the fans, my teammates and the club and thank them for the support received over the years," he wrote. But he did leave the door opened for a future return. "I'll think about my future as of Monday," he added.

Speaking June 1, he again refused to rule out playing again. "It's my first day as a soccer pensioner, and I'm convinced it was a good decision to call an end to my career ... but I'm not saying this is my ultimate end," he said.

Future president?

Former international player and now successful international coach Ivan Hašek again postponed his long-awaited announcement on whether he will run for president of the Czech Football Association (ČMFS). Hašek has been perceived by many soccer experts and fans as a messiah for Czech soccer who could restore order after the scandal-ridden ČMFS chairmanship of Pavel Mokrý. The association's new executive board will be voted June 27.

Hašek has also been eyed as a top candidate to take over as head coach of the Czech team.

But the 45-year-old, who this season guided Al Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, is keeping his future plans secret. He did announce June 1 that he was ending his successful run in the UAE. "Regarding the future, I first plan to meet some people back home, and I'll then announce my decision," Hašek said.

Top division for sale

Last but not least, a guessing game and a potential bidding war about which team will be promoted from the soccer second division to the top-flight Gambrinus liga. The top two teams in the second division's final standings, Bohemians 1905 and Čáslav, secured themselves spots in the Gambrinus liga next season. Since Čáslav does not have the appropriate facilities to host the top-division games, it may not receive the Gambrinus liga license. "In particular, they lack lights at their stadium, and their turf is not heated," said Gambrinus liga director Ivo Lubas.

As a result, Čáslav can sell its spot in the top division to some other team. "We've been leading negotiations with some clubs," said Josef Rajm of the Čáslav management. Representatives of second-division sides Slovácko and Hradec Králové have openly expressed interest in buying the Gambrinus liga spot from Čáslav.

František Bouc can be reached at
fbouc@praguepost.com