Even little kids know it by now. If there's one thing that drives Pavel Nedved, it's chasing that elusive Champions League. The “big-eared Cup” remains the ultimate goal, the trophy still missing from his own personal silverware and he's postponed retirement again in order to try and win it.
Now the first step on the way to that objective is really close. After two years' absence, Nedved's Juventus are all but qualified for the most prestigious tournament in Europe. Thanks to the 4-0 win they got at home, they'll simply need to manage their advantage at Artmedia.
"We're not in the Champions League yet – the Czech player commented before leaving for Slovakia – we need to take that final step. The Bratislava game will be the last stage of a cycle which began two years ago in Rimini. We want to close it on a high and immediately start a new one".
So Europe withdrawal is about to end for the Czech player. And he's had to suffer two more weeks of withdrawal compared to his team mates, as he was forced to miss the first leg due to a suspension earned in April 2006 against Arsenal in Juventus' last official appearance in Europe.
Plus destiny has played a curious trick on Pavel, forcing him to start from what used to be his home too, against his former fellow countrymen in Slovakia: a European derby, the best possible starting point for him.
"My sending off in 2006? I don't look at the past, I only think about the future and what lies ahead. In this sense, the most important thing for us is getting back where we belong, i.e. the Champions League".
Juventus.com
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