Luca Toni ( italian pronunciation : [ ˈluːka ˈtɔːni ] ; born 26 May 1977 ) is an italian former professional football player who played as a hitter. A fecund goalscorer, Toni scored over 300 goals throughout his career, and is one of the top-five highest scoring Italians in all competitions ; with 322 career goals, he is presently the fourth-highest score italian actor of all time. [ 3 ] Something of a footballing nomad, at club flat, Toni played for twelve different italian teams throughout his career. A recently blunder, he spent respective seasons in the lower divisions of italian football, a well as promising spells with minor Serie A club Vicenza and Brescia, before finally making his breakthrough with Palermo : he helped the team to Serie A promotion during the 2003–04 season by winning the Serie B title, and was the league ‘s top scorer with 30 goals ; the following season, he helped the cabaret modify for Europe, scoring 20 goals in Serie A. After two fecund seasons with Fiorentina, Toni besides spent three seasons with german side Bayern Munich, where he helped the club to a domestic triple during the 2007–08 season, besides reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals ; after falling out with the club ‘s director during his third temper with the team, and being demoted to the reserve police squad, he by and by returned to Italy on lend with Roma in 2010, and subsequently had spells with Genoa and Juventus. In 2012, he played for Al-Nasr Dubai SC, in the UAE Arabian Gulf League, but returned to Fiorentina for a season later that year. He retired in 2016, after three seasons with Verona, the last as team captain.
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At international level, he represented the italian national team on 47 occasions, scoring 16 goals. He made his external debut in 2004 and took separate at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup with Italy ; he most notably contributed to Italy ‘s 2006 World Cup victory, as he scored twice and was elected to the tournament ‘s All-star team. In addition to the team medals he collected, Toni besides won respective individual honours : during his first go with Fiorentina, he won the Capocannoniere ( Serie A top scorer ) award during the 2005–06 season, in which he scored 31 goals ( the most goals in a Serie A season since 1958–59 ), which besides earned him the European Golden Shoe, becoming the beginning Italian musician always to win the award ; he was besides the league ‘s joint top scorer in the 2014–15 Serie A season, in which he became the oldest player to win the award at the age of 38, with 22 goals. Toni besides finished as exceed scorer in the 2007–08 Bundesliga, with 24 goals, and in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, with 10 goals .
Club career [edit ]
early on career [edit ]
Toni started his professional career at Modena. This was followed by a number of seasons spent around Serie B and Serie C1 with teams such as Empoli, Fiorenzuola, and Lodigiani. [ 4 ] After a Serie B season with Treviso in 1999, he moved to Vicenza, playing in Serie A for the first time. He then moved to Brescia, playing for two seasons under coach Carlo Mazzone, aboard Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola. [ 5 ]
palermo [edit ]
In 2003, he agreed to join ambitious Serie B club Palermo, being one of the independent factors behind the winning team campaign that brought the Rosanero back to Serie A after over 30 years, thanks to a record 30 goals scored during the season. He consequently gained his foremost cap for the italian national team in a friendly catch 18 August 2004 lost 2–0 to Iceland in Reykjavík, which besides marked Marcello Lippi ‘s debut at the helm of the Azzurri. [ 6 ] In the following temper, Toni confirmed his prolificity by scoring 20 goals in Palermo ‘s first Serie A political campaign, leading the sicilian clubhouse to a historic first qualification to the UEFA Cup .
Fiorentina [edit ]
Toni ‘s act to Fiorentina was marked by controversy as Palermo fans dubbed him a double-crosser for his departure. [ 7 ] La Viola paid €10 million to sign him. [ 8 ] During his first temper in Florence he scored 31 goals, only five shy of the single season record by one actor. This was the first time in 50 years that a Serie A musician had scored 30 or more goals in the league, a feat which cemented his status as one of the most fecund Serie A strikers in history. Toni was awarded the European Golden Shoe for his accomplishment and is first italian actor to win this award. His goal scoring ability brought Fiorentina to heights never seen since Gabriel Batistuta ‘s days in the late 1990s. They finished the temper one-fourth in the league and qualified for the Champions League. This league military position, however, was revoked in the courts during the Calciopoli scandal. Fiorentina was found guilty of influencing the italian Referee ‘s Association and as a result had to start the 2006–07 temper with a 19-point deduction. Toni expressed his desire to leave the team respective times during the summer to the press, but was finally convinced by golf club President Andrea Della Valle to stay. The following temper was plagued by injury, limiting Toni ‘s contributions to 16 goals. He would leave during the summer after promising Della Valle not to sign for any italian rivals .
Bayern Munich [edit ]
On 30 May 2007, Bayern Munich chair Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that Toni had signed a four-year condense with the club after agreeing to a deal worth €11.58 million with Fiorentina. [ 9 ] On 7 June, Toni was presented at a Bayern press league along with colleague fresh signing Franck Ribéry. [ 10 ] Toni was given the number 9 shirt. Toni scored four goals in a 19 December 6–0 home succeed against Aris of Greece to help Bayern win their UEFA Cup group. On 17 February 2008, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick ( a “ perfective hat-trick ” : a goal with each foot and a header, all coming in one half ) against Hannover 96, which was the inaugural hat-trick for a Bayern player in the Bundesliga since Hans Dorfner in 1989. [ 11 ] Bayern won the away fixture 3–0. In a quarter-final second base leg catch in the UEFA Cup, Toni scored two dramatic goals in the 115th and 120th minutes of extra time, in a game which finished 3–3 and lifted Bayern Munich past Getafe of Spain on away goals. Bayern finally lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the semi-final. At the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, he shared the foremost place with Pavel Pogrebnyak from Zenit at the circus tent scorers list with 10 goals. He scored two goals in the german Cup concluding against Borussia Dortmund in a 2–1 acquire ; his second goal was the winner in extra clock time to give Bayern Munich another cup victory. Toni finished as top scorekeeper in the 2007–08 Bundesliga season with 24 goals. Overall, Toni finished the season with 39 goals and 12 assists in 46 matches .
In the 2008–09 season, Toni maintained his high-standard of shape for Bayern. In the Bundesliga, he started 13 games from January, in which he scored nine goals, a celebrated one being a recently stoppage-time winner he scored against TSG Hoffenheim. [ 12 ] In the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, he scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Steaua București in the group stages, [ 13 ] then a brace in a 5–0 away win over Sporting CP in the round of 16. [ 14 ] Toni battled an Achilles tendon wound for most of the second half of the 2008–09 season, but even finished as Bayern ‘s precede scorer in league play, tallying 14 goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances. Recovering from his wound he appeared in two matches of the second base team Bayern Munich II in the 3. Liga in September 2009. [ 15 ] On 7 November 2009, he was fined for leaving the stadium during the meet after being substituted at half-time. [ 16 ] Following his fall out with Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, Bayern ‘s president, Uli Hoeneß, stated on DSF Doppelpass that Toni would be allowed to leave the club on a free transfer. [ 17 ] Eventually, Toni, by common agreement with Bayern, was loaned out to italian club Roma .
Roma ( loanword ) [edit ]
On 31 December 2009, Bayern Munich confirmed the transfer of the italian striker on a six-month loanword basis to Roma, [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] which offered him pre-tax basic wage of €3.1 million. [ 21 ] He debuted for Roma against Cagliari on 6 January 2010. He scored his first two goals for Roma against Genoa on 17 January 2010 ( for 2–0 and 3–0 ). Toni would go on to score five goals in sum for the Giallorossi during the remainder of the 2009–10 temper, including the achiever against Internazionale [ 22 ] to cut the Milanese club ‘s spark advance in Serie A to a individual point ahead of Roma .
genoa [edit ]
On 16 June 2010, Bayern announced the end point of Toni ‘s contract. [ 23 ] In the same month, after some days of speculation, it was confirmed that Luca Toni had found an agreement with Genoa for a biennial contract, reportedly at a net wage of €4 million per season, [ 24 ] as subsequently confirmed by golf club Chairman Enrico Preziosi. The actor, who was presented to the compress on 1 July, took on the number 9 new jersey. [ 24 ]
Juventus [edit ]
Toni playing for Juventus in 2011 On 7 January 2011, a statement in the Juventus official web site announced that Luca Toni would be joining Juventus on a free transplant deal, until 30 June 2012. Toni scored his hundredth goal in Serie A with a header from 16 meters against Cagliari, which was besides his debut goal for Juventus. Toni besides scored the beginning goal at the fresh Juventus Stadium against Notts County on 8 September 2011. [ 25 ]
Al Nasr [edit ]
On 30 January 2012, Juventus confirmed that they have agreed a bargain for Luca Toni with Emirati golf club Al Nasr. [ 26 ]
come back to Fiorentina [edit ]
On 31 August 2012, in the closure hour of the transfer market, Fiorentina announced that they completed the sign of Luca Toni, after he had been previously linked with a travel to Siena. Toni made it a goal-scoring restitution for La Viola when, after coming on as a 64th-minute ersatz for Adem Ljajić, he scored with his first touch the second finish in a 2–0 win over Catania in the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 16 September 2012. [ 27 ]
verona [edit ]
On 5 July 2013, Toni signed a annual abridge with newly promoted to Serie A club Verona. [ 28 ] On 17 August, Toni scored his first goal for Verona in a 1–0 victory over Palermo in the Coppa Italia. [ 29 ] In his Serie A debut for the baseball club on 24 August, Toni scored doubly as Verona recorded a 2–1 home succeed over Milan on the open day of the temper. [ 30 ] Toni displayed very well form for Verona and after scoring two ampere well as assisting a finish in consecutive games [ 31 ] there were calls for him to return to the national team with Toni stating “ I am thinking about doing well. then it is for Cesare Prandelli to decide. For me, it would be a pleasure and an honor to go to the World Cup, but whatever happens there would be no publish ”. [ 32 ]
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He ended the 2013–14 temper with 20 goals, making him the second-top goalscorer in Serie A at the age of 37. [ 33 ] During the 2014–15 season, he maintained a high standard of performance, scoring his 300th career finish in a 2–1 succeed over Udinese on 14 December 2014. [ 34 ] He finished the temper with 22 goals, which took him to the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts, along with Mauro Icardi, at the age of 38 becoming the oldest Capocannoniere in Serie A. [ 35 ] In 2015, France Football rated him as one of the 10 best footballers in the populace who are over the long time of 36. [ 36 ] Toni ‘s one-third season with the club was less successful, as injuries and clashes with the club ‘s coach Luigi Delneri saw him struggle to gain imprint and dally time. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] After Verona was seen relegated from the 2015–16 Serie A temper, Toni confirmed his retirement from football on 4 May 2016. [ 39 ] He scored his last ever career goal on his final match from the penalty spot in a 2–1 family winnings over Serie A champions Juventus, with a Panenka manner punishment, and late besides started the play which led to Verona ‘s second finish ; this was his twenty-third appearance and sixth goal of the league season. In the 85th minute, a visibly emotional Toni was substituted and received a standing ovation from the fans. In entire, he had managed 48 league goals for Verona during his three seasons in the italian crown division with the club, 157 career Serie A goals in 344 league appearances, and a career total of 324 goals in all competitions ( with 659 appearances and 306 goals at cabaret level, and 47 appearances and 16 goals with the italian national team ). [ 37 ] [ 41 ] [ 42 ] Toni explained his decisiveness to retire after the match, stating that he would not be playing in Verona ‘s final match of the season, in an away fastness against his former club Palermo, as he wanted to play his final career couple in his team ‘s base stadium .
International career [edit ]
Toni scored 16 goals in 47 appearances for the Italy national football team. [ 43 ] He received his first base international call-up in August 2004 under director Marcello Lippi, [ 44 ] and subsequently made his debut for the italian national team as a substitute on 18 August 2004, in a 2–0 friendly frustration against Iceland. [ 45 ] He scored his first international goal on 4 September 2004, after coming off the bench in a 2–1 home win against Norway, in a World Cup Qualifying match. [ 46 ] On 17 November, Toni made his first external begin in a 1–0 friendly home succeed over Finland. [ 47 ] [ 48 ] On 11 June 2005, he captained the italian police squad for the first time in his career in a friendly catch in New York against Ecuador, due to the absence of Fabio Cannavaro and other have players ; he scored Italy ‘s entirely goal in the eventual 1–1 draw. [ 49 ] [ 50 ] On 7 September, Toni scored his first international hat-trick in a 4–1 victory against Belarus in a 2006 World Cup qualifying couple, becoming the beginning Fiorentina player ever to do so. [ 51 ] [ 52 ]
Toni was selected to Italy ‘s 23-man 2006 World Cup team, [ 53 ] and was given the number 9 shirt. [ 54 ] In Italy ‘s opening couple against Ghana, he hit the crossbar as Italy won 2–0, [ 55 ] and he later scored two goals in the quarter-finals against Ukraine on 30 June, his only goals of the tournament, as Italy won 3–0 to advance to the semi-finals against the hosts Germany. [ 56 ] In the final against France, he hit the crossbar with a knock-down header and late netted another header, although the goal was disallowed as the undertake was controversially ruled offside. [ 57 ] Italy finally defeated France 5–3 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw following extra-time, to win their fourthly World Cup claim ; Toni finished the tournament as Italy ‘s top goal-scorer, aboard Marco Materazzi, with 2 goals, besides producing 20 shots and hitting the crossbar twice. [ 58 ] He was besides fouled 28 times throughout the tournament, more than any early musician. [ 59 ] For his performances, Toni was named to the 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament. [ 60 ] On 28 March 2007, Toni scored two goals in Italy ‘s 2–0 home acquire over Scotland in a Euro 2008 modifier. [ 61 ] After undergoing operation ascribable to an wound to his leave foot which he had struggled to overcome since the beginning of the 2006–07 temper, he missed Italy ‘s following two qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Lithuania. [ 62 ] [ 63 ] He returned to action for his nation ‘s reservation game against Georgia in Genoa on 13 October, and assisted Fabio Grosso, who scored Italy ‘s moment finish in a 2–0 win. [ 64 ] On 17 November 2007, Toni struck in the first base moment of a 2–1 acquire in a passing match against Scotland at Hampden Park, which secured Italy ‘s position at the final stages of the contest. [ 65 ] Four days late, he scored the moment goal against the Faroe Islands, as Italy closed off their qualify campaign with a 3–1 home winnings. [ 66 ] He finished the qualifying round as Italy ‘s top-scorer with 5 goals in six appearances. [ 61 ] [ 67 ] Toni was called up to the 23-man italian police squad for UEFA Euro 2008 by director Roberto Donadoni, [ 68 ] [ 69 ] but his kind in the tournament was disappointing, as he failed to score ; he managed a goal in Italy ‘s second base group match against Romania, but it was controversially disallowed for offside, as Italy drew the match 1–1. [ 70 ] Toni ‘s main contribution for the team was winning a decisive penalty kick in the final group match against France, which ended 2–0, and allowed the Italians to progress to the knock-out round. [ 71 ] Italy then bowed out of the tournament on penalties to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-final, following a 0–0 draw after extra-time. [ 72 ] Despite disappointing at Euro 2008, Toni was called up by returning passenger car Marcello Lippi for Italy ‘s foremost two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. [ 73 ] Toni besides scored an equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Greece, in an international friendly on 19 November 2008, which was his final examination external goal. [ 74 ] He was subsequently named to Lippi ‘s 23-man Italy squad that took share at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, [ 75 ] and appeared in all three of his state ‘s group matches, although Italy disappointed, suffering a first-round elimination. [ 76 ] Following the tournament, he was no long called up to the national team, [ 77 ] [ 78 ] and he was not included in Lippi ‘s probationary 30-man italian squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup final tournament. [ 79 ] Toni ‘s goalscoring form with Verona in 2014 saw him become a popular potential campaigner for a place as a reserve in Italy ‘s 23-man 2014 FIFA World Cup team, [ 80 ] although he was late excluded from Cesare Prandelli ‘s concluding team for the tournament. [ 81 ] [ 82 ] Following Toni ‘s retirement from professional football at the end of the 2015–16 season with Verona, the italian Football Federation paid tribute to him before Italy ‘s friendly couple against Finland at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona on 6 June 2016 ; he was presented with a commemorative shirt by FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio, and was awarded a city brass by Verona ‘s mayor, Flavio Tosi, and the town ‘s sports council member, Alberto Bozza. [ 83 ] [ 84 ] [ 85 ]
Following his retirement, Toni undertook a course to become a film director of sport with his former club Verona. [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ] [ 90 ] [ 91 ] however, Verona announced that he would leave the club after his abridge expired on 30 June 2017. [ 92 ] On 15 December 2017, Toni received his coaching license. [ 93 ] In August 2019, he enrolled in the UEFA Pro Licence courses at Coverciano. [ 94 ] Toni received his UEFA Pro Licence on 16 September 2020. [ 95 ]
style of turn [edit ]
A prolific goal-scorer, [ 96 ] Toni was a traditional centre-forward, [ 97 ] who excelled in the air travel and acrobatically ; although in his young he was known for his attacking movement, which allowed him to play anywhere along the front-line or off of his teammates, he chiefly operated in the penalty area in his late career, as he lost his tempo and his work-rate decreased. [ 98 ] [ 99 ] Although naturally correctly footed, he was an accurate finisher with both feet, [ 98 ] [ 99 ] and an excellent penalty taker. [ 100 ] Although his forcible, opportunist, “ goal-poaching ” style of play was at times criticized as unrefined and unorthodox, due to his miss of celebrated technical skills, he besides drew praise throughout his career for his leadership and ability to utilise his acme, solid first touch, and strong human body to win antenna challenges, hold up the ball for his teammates, and provide them with assists when playing with his rear to goal, in addition to his ability to score goals himself. [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 101 ] His strength, antenna art, and office saw him become one of the best ever headers of the testis in the italian League. [ 96 ] [ 98 ] [ 101 ] Writing for The Guardian, Tom Mason has said of his play, “ His retirement marks the end of not only a noteworthy career, but of a whole breed of striker … he seems to be a relic of an out-dated and discredited ideology. In a worldly concern where forwards are the first telephone line of defense, where high-intensity press and acute bursts of energy are a prerequisite for strikers, there seems to be little room for players in the mildew of Luca Toni. Ill-equipped for a fast-paced counter-attack, unlikely to trouble defenders in behind, his sphere is the 18-yard corner and small outside it. ” [ 102 ] In the concluding season of his career, Toni was described as “ the final capital italian centre-forward ” by italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. [ 37 ]
Goal celebrations [edit ]
Throughout his career, Toni was known for celebrating his goals by looking at his teammates and rotating his right hand next to his ear, as if to say, “ do you realize what it is I have just done ? ” [ 99 ]
personal life [edit ]
In 2010, Toni stated that he was a Catholic. [ 103 ] Toni is married to italian exemplary Marta Cecchetto. [ 104 ] Their son was stillborn on 1 June 2012. [ 105 ] Their daughter Bianca was born in June 2013. [ 106 ] On 30 July 2014, a second base son, Leonardo, was born in Florence. [ 107 ] In March 2015, german authorities sued Toni for €1.7 million in unpaid taxes to the Catholic Church. [ 108 ] That July, he sued his former tax adviser for the same amount, claiming that he had been registered without anterior cognition as a Roman Catholic in Germany and thus had paid taxes to the Church in conflict with his own impression. [ 109 ] In December, he received a payout of €1.25 million when the court found in his favor. [ 110 ] In 2019, he stated that he has center-right political views and that he is a garter of anti-immigrant politician Matteo Salvini, joining him on phase during a muster in Modena. [ 111 ]
career statistics [edit ]
baseball club [edit ]
[ 112 ]
International [edit ]
[ 113 ]
Italy national team
Year
Apps
Goals
2004
5
1
2005
10
6
2006
11
3
2007
5
4
2008
11
2
2009
5
0
Total
47
16
International goals [edit ]
- Scores and results list Italy’s goal tally first.[43]
Honours [edit ]
club [edit ]
- Bayern Munich[114]
International [edit ]
individual [edit ]
Orders [edit ]
-
CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006[130]
References [edit ]
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