Silverware trumps irons for Juve's Nedvěd

Two-year exile
The 36-year-old midfielder and his side have been absent from Europe's top club competition for two years following Juventus's relegation from Serie A as a result of the Italian sporting fraud scandal. But as the Bianconeri prepare to return to UEFA Champions League action at home to FC Zenit St. Petersburg on 17 September, Nedvěd is desperate to add a UEFA Champions League winner's medal to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup ones he collected with S.S. Lazio in 1999.

Golfing treat
Nedvěd likes nothing more than a round of golf with Del Piero, but jokes that he would happily sacrifice that so Juventus could earn some kudos in the UEFA Champions League, saying: "To win the trophy, I would give up anything – even playing golf with Del Piero." He continued: "We can play to win against any opponent. We know our strength, so we are afraid of no one. I'm sure we have the means to reach our targets for the season."

Final target
Nedvěd was suspended when Juventus lost on penalties to AC Milan in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League final in Manchester, and would love to make amends by playing in this term's final in Rome before he hangs up his boots. "Playing in the Champions League was our first target and now we are in the group stage, we'll try our best to reach the final," said Nedvěd, who scored 18 goals in 91 internationals.

Ranieri methods
He may be getting on in years but the midfielder's skills show no sign of diminishing, as he demonstrated by scoring in Juventus's Serie A season opener, the 1-1 draw at ACF Fiorentina on 31 August. "I'm in better form now than 12 months ago," he explained. "I have got used to [coach Claudio] Ranieri's working methods, and the results are there for all to see."