Nedved considers retiring

Hamburg:

Pavel Nedved came out of international retirement to help the Czech Republic qualify for the World Cup. Now that his team has been eliminated after the first round, the midfielder is considering calling it quits from soccer altogether. "I've got to consider all possible options for me," Nedved said on Thursday after the Czech Republic lost to Italy 2-0 in Group E. "It'll take me a while". The Czechs had been favoured to advance from the group, which also included Ghana and the United States. But Ghana topped the Czech Republic 2-0 to send the European team home with only a 3-0 win over the Americans. Nedved said the disappointment of leaving early, his age, family and also an uncertain future at Juventus will play a role for his decision. Juventus has been under investigation for sporting fraud on allegations that it tried to manipulate the Serie A by handpicking referees. The team, which won the Serie A title the last two seasons, risks being stripped of its titles and faces relegation - possibly even to the third division. AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina also face possible demotion. Nedved retired from the national team after the 2004 European Championship, where he led the Czechs to semifinals. (AP)