Pavel Nedved, the former Ballon d’Or winner and ex-vice president of Juventus, has officially been appointed as the new sporting director of Al Shabab. The Saudi Arabian club announced the news through their official social media channels, marking a significant move for the Czech football legend.
Nedved has signed with the Riyadh-based club, which competes in the top division of Saudi Arabian football. He will be working alongside familiar faces from Serie A, including manager Fatih Terim and midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura, both of whom have connections to AC Milan. Currently, Al Shabab sits in fourth place in the Saudi Pro League with 12 points, trailing the league leaders Al-Hilal by 6 points after 6 matches.
During his illustrious playing career, Nedved, born in 1972, featured in 671 club matches and scored 147 goals. He also represented the Czech national team 91 times, netting 18 goals. His trophy cabinet includes not only the prestigious Ballon d’Or but also three Serie A titles, a Cup Winners’ Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup, achieved with Juventus and Lazio.
As a director, Nedved was an integral part of Juventus’ dominant era, contributing to their unprecedented run of nine consecutive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2020.
