Delle Alpi curse strikes Nedved as he misses final
The 30-year-old Czech international emulated England's then creative maestro Paul Gascoigne in winning the match but losing out on the big one as Gazza's booking in the 1990 World Cup quarter-final against Cameroon led to his being suspended from the semi-final against West Germany.
Like Nedved, Gascoigne cried freely only adding to his legend whilst Juventus team-mates and manager Marcello Lippi praised the Czech for his superb goal, their third in the 3-1 Champions League semi-final victory over Real Madrid and a 4-3 triumph on aggregate to make the final in a fortnight's time against AC Milan.
"I feel sorry for Pavel but I have to query why at such a stage in the match, when we were winning 3-0, he went in on Steve McManaman as he did. It doesn't make sense for such an experienced player to do that," said Lippi.
Defender Alessandro Tacchinardi also wondered why the former Lazio star, who scored in the Rome side's victory over Real Mallorca in the last ever Cup Winners Cup final in 1999, had lost his head.
"He told us afterwards that he wasn't really thinking about the ramifications of what might happen when he charged in on McManaman," said Tacchinardi.
"It is a real blow that one of our most experienced players should commit such an error. However I think at that stage of the match the referee (Urs Meier) would have been better advised to have let play carry on."
Nedved, for his part, said he had not hesitated in making the tackle. "I was in trouble in making the tackle so I just jumped in," he said.
"I won't play in the final and I am so sad I could die. I made a mistake. I am delighted for the team but in Manchester I will be in the stands and I am not used to being there. I just want to say that I will spur on my team mates until they win."
Nedved is being widely touted in Italy as a serious contender for European Player of the Year but he said the chances of that award slipping away from him due to his absence in the final had never entered his head.
"I wasn't thinking about the Golden Ball award I was only thinking about the European Cup which I so wanted to take in my arms at least once in my career," said Nedved.
Juve coach Marcello Lippi said he and the team were deeply upset by Nedved's absence from the final.
"We will dedicate any win in the final to him. I am very, very saddened that such an unselfish player as he, who has had such a great Champions League campaign, will miss the match that he wanted so much to be involved in," Lippi said.
The Juve coach said Italian soccer deserved respect after his side swept aside holders Real Madrid to set up the competition's first ever all-Italian final against AC Milan.
"Right from the start of this season Italian football has had the desire to show it was not as bad as critics were saying. All four of our teams got through the first phase then three made it to the last eight and all of them went on to semi-finals. Now here we are with two Italian teams in the final," said Lippi.
"That shows that Italian football is to be respected. I don't know if it is the prettiest but it is football that should be respected.
"We play good football, it's not as those outside of Italy would have you believe," he added.
"It is great, a huge joy," he said. "This final comes after a couple of years in which Juventus have won a lot, but just when you think you've had access to all the treasures in the safe, then along comes another opportunity that's even greater," he said.
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