Juventus management are urging Pavel Nedved to shelve his retirement plans. "What I wanted to tell Nedved is that he is an example for everyone and players like him are rare in an organisation," member of the Board of Directors Gian Paolo Montali told Sky Italia.

"Clearly the only thing that could irritate him a little is the fact he would have to play less in the future, as he is accustomed to being first choice and a regular spot on the field.

"But if we can make him understand that his support to the team would still be incredibly important, including in the locker room and with his behaviour, then I think we could convince him to continue for another year."