Pavel Nedved replaces David Beckham as ambassador for Chinese Super League

Former Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved said on Wednesday he has been named ambassador of China’s cash-filled Super League, replacing David Beckham.

“I have become ambassador of the Chinese league today,” said the 43-year-old winner of the 2003 Ballon d’Or.

“Before me it was David Beckham so it’s a great honour for me and for the entire Czech Republic,” Nedved said on the fringes of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Prague.

“In future, you’ll have to reckon with Chinese football,” said Nedved, now also the vice-president of one of his former clubs Juventus, after meeting Xi in the Czech capital.

Former Sparta Prague, Lazio and Juventus star Nedved played 91 games for the Czech national team, helping them to the Euro 1996 final, where they lost to Germany.