Chelsea's Petr Čech picks up seventh Czech footballer of year award

Czech and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech has, for the seventh time, been voted the country’s best footballer.

 Čech took the Czech golden ball award and in the process surpassed the record of former national and Juventus midfield star Pavel Nedvěd, who was voted best player six times in the poll of sports journalists.

‘I have been able to win this prize seven times and that is witness to the fact that I have been able to sustain a certain level.’

“I have been able to win this prize seven times and that is witness to the fact that I have been able to sustain a certain level,” Čech, who was unable to attend Monday night’s award announcement because he is training with Chelsea for Saturday’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich, said on his personal webpage. “I am pleased that I have been able to exceed the record of that legend of Czech football Pavel Nedvěd and hope that I will be able to deserve a few more such victories,” he added.  

The Chelsea goalkeeper won the best player of the season award by a wide margin over his closest challenger, Czech national captain and Arsenal midfielder TomášRosický. Čech picked up 1,914 points, Rosický 1,328, with former Viktoria Plzeň, now Wolfsburg, player Petr Jiráček on 1,137.

Čechwas voted best player first in 2005 and has taken the title without interruption over the following years with the exception of 2009 when Nedvěd was the winner. Nedvěd has, however, picked up the title of European player of the year, a feat that Čech has still to match.