Before conquering Italy and winning the "Golden Ball" the legend Pavel Nedved passed through Pilsen. The city that welcomes Levski for the clash with Viktoria holds a special place in the history of one of the greatest Czech football players.
Nedved began playing in Tatran (Skalna), and after a short stay in Ruda Hvezda (Cheb) in 1986 he arrived at the then Skoda (Pilsen) - today's Viktoria. Here he came under the guidance of Josef Jaludek, a coach who made a huge contribution to his development.
The school gradually built the player who would remain in the history of not only Czech but also world football. From Skoda, he spent periods at Dukla and Sparta (Prague) before moving to Lazio. In 2001, he joined Juventus, where he reached the pinnacle of his individual career.
In 2003, the Czech won the "Golden Ball".
The path from Pilsen to the world's top passes through Prague, Rome and Turin. But among his important starting points remains the school of today's rival Levski - the place where a talented teenager began to turn into a future football legend.