Luca Toni

Personal information
Full name	Luca Toni
Date of birth	(1977-05-26) 26 May 1977 (age 35)
Place of birth	Pavullo nel Frignano, Italy
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Al Nasr
Number	10
Youth career
1990–1994	Modena
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1996	Modena	32	(7)
1996–1997	Empoli	3	(1)
1997–1998	Fiorenzuola	26	(2)
1998–1999	Lodigiani	31	(15)
1999–2000	Treviso	35	(15)
2000–2001	Vicenza	31	(9)
2001–2003	Brescia	44	(15)
2003–2005	Palermo	80	(50)
2005–2007	Fiorentina	67	(47)
2007–2010	Bayern Munich	60	(38)
2009	Bayern Munich II	2	(0)
2010	→ Roma (loan)	15	(5)
2010–2011	Genoa	16	(3)
2011–2012	Juventus	14	(2)
2012–	Al Nasr	7	(3)
National team‡
2004–2009	Italy	47	(16)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21 June 2009

Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI (born 26 May 1977) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for UAE Pro-League club Al Nasr. He had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma, as well as a short stint at Juventus. Toni is highly regarded for his goal scoring ability as can be seen by his prolific goals to games ratio at many of his clubs.

His style is at times seen as being unorthodox. His strength, however, and power have seen him become one of Serie A's most lethal finishers of the past decade. As well as the medals he has collected, he has also won several individual honours, including the Capocannonieri for the 2005–06 season in which he scored 31 goals, as well as finishing topscorer with 24 goals in the 2007–08 Fußball-Bundesliga.

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

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. 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 alongside Roberto Baggio.

Palermo[link]

In 2003, he agreed to join ambitious Serie B club Palermo, being one of the main 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 first cap for the Italian national team in a friendly match 18 August 2004 lost 2–0 to Iceland in Reykjavík, which also marked Marcello Lippi's debut at the helm of the Azzurri.^[2]

In the following season, Toni confirmed his prolificity by scoring an impressive 20 goals in Palermo's first Serie A campaign, leading the Sicilian club to a historical first qualification to the UEFA Cup.

Fiorentina[link]

Toni's move to Fiorentina was marked by controversy as the fans dubbed him a traitor for his departure.^[3] La Viola paid €10 million to sign him.^[4]

During his first season in Florence, he scored 31 goals, making him one of the most prolific Serie A strikers of all-time (the most goals ever scored in a season being 35); this was also the first time in 50 years that a Serie A player had scored more than 30 goals. Toni was awarded the European Golden Shoe for this feat, the first Italian player to win this award. His goal scoring ability brought Fiorentina to heights never seen since the late 1990s, when the Argentine Gabriel Batistuta was playing for them. They clinched fourth spot and qualified for the Champions League.

This league position, however, was revoked in the courts during the Calciopoli scandal. Italian courts recognized Fiorentina as culpable of shady dealings and convicted them to start the 2006–07 season with a 19 point deduction. Toni expressed his desire to leave the team several times during the summer to the press, but was eventually convinced by club president Andrea Della Valle to stay and help the club overcome its unfavourable position.

The following season was plagued by injury, limiting Toni's goals to a less considerable, albeit impressive, 16 goals. This was Toni's final season at the Florence club, as they agreed to sell him to German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Before he left, Toni promised Della Valle not to sign for any big Italian clubs, which is believed to be the main reason he went to Germany.

Bayern Munich[link]

On 30 May 2007, Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that Toni had signed a four-year contract with the club after agreeing to a deal worth €11.58 million^[5] with Fiorentina. On 7 June, Toni was presented at a Bayern press conference along with fellow new signing Franck Ribéry.^[6] Toni was given the jersey number nine.

Toni and Klose against Hertha BSC 2009.

Toni scored four goals in a 19 December 6–0 home win against Aris of Greece to help Bayern win their UEFA Cup group. On 17 February 2008, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick (a "perfect hat-trick": a goal with each foot and a header, all coming in one half) against Hannover 96. Bayern won the away fixture 3–0.

Toni with Bayern.

In a quarter-final second leg match in the UEFA Cup, Toni scored two dramatic goals on 115th and 120th minutes of extra time, in a game which finished 3–3 and lifted Bayern Munich past Getafe CF of Spain on away goals. Bayern eventually lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the semi-final. At the UEFA Cup 2007-08, he shared the first place with Pavel Pogrebnyak from Zenit at the top scorers list with 10 goals.

He scored two goals in the German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund in a 2–1 win; his second goal was the winner in extra time to give Bayern Munich another cup victory. Toni finished as top scorer 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 form for Bayern. In the Bundesliga, he started 13 games from January, in which he scored nine goals, a notable one being a late stoppage-time winner he scored against TSG Hoffenheim.^[7]

Toni battled an achilles tendon injury for most of the second half of the 2008–09 season, but still finished as Bayern's leading scorer in league play, tallying 14 goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances.

Recovering from his injury he appeared in two matches of the second team FC Bayern Munich II in the 3rd Liga in September 2009.^[8]

On 7 November 2009, he was fined for leaving the stadium during the match after being substituted at half-time.^[9]

Following his fall out with Bayern manager Louis van Gaal, Bayern's president, Uli Hoeneß, stated on DSF Doppelpass that the player will be allowed to leave the club on a free transfer.^[10] On 16 June 2010, Bayern announced the termination of his contract and he left Germany.^[11]

Roma[link]

On 31 December 2009, Bayern Munich confirmed the transfer of the Italian striker for a six-month loan to Roma,^[12][13][14] which offered him pre-tax basic salary of €3.1 million.^[15] 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 total for the Giallorossi during the remainder of the 2009–10 season, including the winner against Internazionale^[16] to cut their lead to a single point at the top of the Serie A standings, ahead of Roma.

Genoa[link]

In June 2010, after weeks of speculation, it was confirmed that Luca Toni had found an agreement with Genoa for a two-year contract, and a net salary of reported €4 million per season,^[17] as confirmed by club chairman Enrico Preziosi. The player, who was presented to the press on 1 July, wore the #9 jersey.^[17]

Juventus[link]

On 7 January 2011, after days of speculation, it was confirmed by a statement in Juventus official website that Luca Toni will be joining Bianconeri on a free deal, until 30 June 2012. Toni scored his 100th goal in Serie A with a brilliant header from 16 meters against Cagliari; that was also his debut goal for Juventus. Toni also scored the first goal at the new Juventus stadium against Notts County on 8 September 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Al Nasr[link]

On 30 January 2012, Juventus confirmed that they have agreed a deal for Luca Toni with United Arabs Emirates club Al Nasr.^[18]

International career[link]

Toni made his debut for the Italian national team as a substitute on 18 August 2004 in a friendly match against Iceland. He scored his first international goal in a World Cup Qualifying match against Norway on 4 September 2004.

On 17 November, Toni made his international start in a friendly match against Finland. On 11 June 2005, he captained the Italian squad for the first time in his career in a friendly match against Ecuador because of the absence of current captain Fabio Cannavaro and other experienced players. On 7 September, Toni scored his first international hat-trick in a 4–1 victory against Belarus in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match.

Toni was selected to Italy's 2006 World Cup squad, and scored two goals in the quarter-finals against Ukraine on 30 June, his only goals of the tournament. In the final against France, he hit the crossbar with a powerful header and later netted another header although the goal was disallowed as the attempt was ruled offside.

Toni scored two goals in Italy's 2–0 win over Scotland in a Euro 2008 qualifier. Due to the aforementioned foot surgery, he missed Italy's next two qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Lithuania. He returned to the qualification games against Georgia, and assisted Fabio Grosso, who scored the final result (2–0). On 17 November 2007, Toni struck in the first minute of a 2–1 qualifier win over Scotland at Hampden Park, which secured Italy's place at the final stages. Four days later, he scored the second goal against the Faroe Islands, as Italy closed with a 3–1 win.

He was called up to the Italian Squad for UEFA Euro 2008, but his form in the tournament was disappointing, with his only goal against Romania being disallowed for offside. Toni's main contribution for the team was winning a penalty kick against France, which ended 2–0. Italy then bowed out of the tournament on penalty kicks to Spain in the quarter-final.

Despite the Euro 2008 disappointment, Toni was called up by coach Marcello Lippi for Italy's first two 2010 World Cup qualifers. Toni also scored an equaliser against Greece in an international friendly, where the match ended 1–1. He was successively not included in Marcello Lippi's provisional 30-man Italian squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

International goals[link]

Luca Toni – goals for Italy
#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	4 September 2004	Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy	Norway	2–1	2–1	2006 World Cup qualifying
2.	11 June 2005	Giants Stadium, New Jersey, United States	Ecuador	1–0	1–1	Friendly
3.	7 September 2005	Dynama Stadium (Minsk), Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	1–1	4–1	2006 World Cup qualifying
4.	7 September 2005	Dynama Stadium (Minsk), Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	2–1	4–1	2006 World Cup qualifying
5.	7 September 2005	Dynama Stadium (Minsk), Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	3–1	4–1	2006 World Cup qualifying
6.	12 November 2005	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Netherlands	3–1	3–1	Friendly
7.	1 March 2006	Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy	Germany	2–0	4–1	Friendly
8.	30 June 2006	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	Ukraine	2–0	3–0	2006 World Cup
9.	30 June 2006	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	Ukraine	3–0	3–0	2006 World Cup
10.	7 October 2006	Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy	Ukraine	2–0	2–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
11.	28 March 2007	Stadio San Nicola, Bari, Italy	Scotland	1–0	2–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
12.	28 March 2007	Stadio San Nicola, Bari, Italy	Scotland	2–0	2–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
13.	17 November 2007	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	1–0	2–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
14.	21 November 2007	Stadio Alberto Braglia, Modena, Italy	Faroe Islands	2–0	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
15.	6 February 2008	Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland	Portugal	1–0	3–1	Friendly
16.	19 November 2008	Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece	Greece	1–1	1–1	Friendly

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Palermo

• Serie B (1): 2004

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga (1): 2008
• DFB-Pokal (1): 2008
• DFB-Ligapokal (1): 2007

National[link]

Italy

• FIFA World Cup (1): 2006

Individual[link]

• Serie B Top Scorer: 2004
• Serie A Top Scorer: 2006
• Guerin d'Oro: 2006
• European Golden Shoe: 2006
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
• Bundesliga Top Scorer: 2008
• UEFA Cup Top Scorer: 2008

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Luca Toni

• Official Website (Italian)
• National Team statistics at FIGC official site (Italian)
• FootballDatabase.com provides Toni's profile and stats

Italy squads v t e Italy squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Winners (4th Title) 1 Buffon 2 Zaccardo 3 Grosso 4 De Rossi 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 Barzagli 7 Del Piero 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 Totti 11 Gilardino 12 Peruzzi 13 Nesta 14 Amelia 15 Iaquinta 16 Camoranesi 17 Barone 18 Inzaghi 19 Zambrotta 20 Perrotta 21 Pirlo 22 Oddo 23 Materazzi Coach: Lippi v t e Italy squad – UEFA Euro 2008 1 Buffon 2 Panucci 3 Grosso 4 Chiellini 5 Gamberini 6 Barzagli 7 Del Piero (c) 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 De Rossi 11 Di Natale 12 Borriello 13 Ambrosini 14 Amelia 15 Quagliarella 16 Camoranesi 17 De Sanctis 18 Cassano 19 Zambrotta 20 Perrotta 21 Pirlo 22 Aquilani 23 Materazzi Coach: Donadoni v t e Italy squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Buffon 2 Santon 3 Grosso 4 Chiellini 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 Legrottaglie 7 Pepe 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 De Rossi 11 Gilardino 12 De Sanctis 13 Gamberini 14 Amelia 15 Iaquinta 16 Camoranesi 17 Rossi 18 Palombo 19 Zambrotta 20 Montolivo 21 Pirlo 22 Dossena 23 Quagliarella Coach: Lippi

Franck Ribéry

Personal information
Full name	Franck Ribéry
Date of birth	(1983-04-07) 7 April 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth	Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	7
Youth career
1989–1996	Conti Boulogne
1996–1999	Lille
1999–2000	Boulogne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Boulogne	28	(6)
2002–2003	Alès	19	(1)
2003–2004	Stade Brestois	35	(3)
2004–2005	Metz	20	(1)
2005	Galatasaray	14	(0)
2005–2007	Marseille	60	(11)
2007–	Bayern Munich	129	(43)
National team‡
2004–2006	France U21	13	(2)
2006–	France	59	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:13, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 02:45, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Franck Ribéry (French pronunciation: [f�?ɑ�?k �?ibe�?i]; born 7 April 1983) is a French international footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for the France national team. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing."^[1] Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet".^[2] Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".^[3]

Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès and Brest), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club FC Metz. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 joining Galatasaray where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.

Ribéry is a French international. Prior to representing the senior team, he played at under-21 level. At senior level, Ribéry has represented his nation two FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2008. He made his international debut in May 2006 against Mexico. At the 2006 World Cup, Ribéry scored his first international goal against Spain and played in the final match against Italy. Individually, Ribéry is a two-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and has also won the German Footballer of the Year becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year and declared the Young Player of the Year in France.