Luca Toni

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Luca Toni
Personal information
Full name Luca Toni Varchetta
Date of birth May 26, 1977 (age 29)
Place of birth Pavullo nel Frignano, Italy
Height 6 ft 4¾ in (194 cm)
Nickname Tonigol
Bomber
Tuoni e Fulmini (Thunder and Lightning)
Position Striker
Club information
Current club ACF Fiorentina
Number 30
Professional clubs*
Years Club Apps (goals)
1994-1996
1996-1997
1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2003
2003-2005
2005-		 Modena
Empoli
Fiorenzuola
Lodigiani
Treviso
Vicenza
Brescia
Palermo
Fiorentina		 32 (7)
3 (1)
26 (2)
31 (5)
35 (15)
31 (9)
44 (15)
80 (51)
49 (37)
National team**
2004- Italy 26 (10)

* Professional club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 00:25, 12 December 2006 (UTC).
** National team caps and goals correct
as of 11 October 2006 (UTC).

Luca Toni (born May 26, 1977 in Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena) is an Italian, World Cup winning, football player. He plays as a striker for ACF Fiorentina and the Italian national team. In world cup 2006 Luca Toni scored two consecutive goals against Ukraine. Again in the qualifying for the Euro Cup 2008, Luca Toni scored two goals against Ukraine putting them ahead 2-0. He is one of the best strikers in the World.

Contents

[edit] Club

He started his professional career at Modena in 1994.

After a Serie B season with Treviso in 1999, he moved to Vicenza Calcio, playing in Serie A for the first time. He then moved to Brescia Calcio and played for two seasons along-side Roberto Baggio.

He joined Palermo in 2003 and aided the team to win Serie B by scoring thirty goals during the season, consequently gaining his first cap for the national team. In the following season, he scored twenty goals.

In July 2005, he was transferred by Palermo owner, Maurizio Zamparini, to Fiorentina for €10m. He helped Fiorentina qualify for the UEFA Champions League 2006-07 when his team ended the 2005-06 season with a fourth place finish.

On May 14, 2006 Toni scored his 31st goal of the 2005-06 season and in doing so, secured the 2005-06 Capocannonieri. It is the first time since the 1957-58 season that a player has scored more than 30 goals in Serie A. Despite only finishing third top scorer in European football with 31 goals in Serie A with Fiorentina, behind Klaas Jan Huntelaar of Ajax Amsterdam and Kris Boyd of Rangers, Toni collected the European Golden Boot, due to multipliers based on the quality of the league. Toni's goal tally has eclipsed the previous club record of 26 in one season in the top flight, held by Fiorentina legends Gabriel Batistuta and Kurt Hamrin.

Although Fiorentina was involved in 2006 Serie A scandal and being handed points penalty, on 9 August, Toni announced he would stay loyal to Fiorentina and stay at Florence for at least another season.

[edit] Country

On August 18, 2004, Luca Toni made his debut for the Italian national team as a substitue on a friendly match against Iceland.

On September 4, 2004, after coming on as a substitute, Toni scored his first goal for Italy in a 2006 World Cup Qualifying match against Norway.

On November 17, 2004, Toni started his first match for Italy in a friendly match against Finland.

On June 11, 2005, Toni captained the Italian national team 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 September 7, 2005, Toni scored his first hat-trick for the Italian national team in a 2006 World Cup Qualifying match against Belarus (which Italy won 4-1).

On June 30, 2006, Toni scored two goals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals against Ukraine; these were his only goals in the whole tournament. England coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson had labelled Toni as Italy's player to watch out for before the tournament (check FourFourTwo issue 143) and bookmakers had made him 33-1 to win the Golden Boot.

On October 7, 2006, Luca Toni scored against Ukraine once again in a Euro Qualifiers, with a beautiful right foot volley into the top corner. That game was his first game since the 2006 World Cup. Vitut Mä MIkään Englantilainen OO

[edit] Trivia

Enlarge
  • Toni is also known for his goal celebration, which consists of stretching his 5 fingers of his right hand and rotating them left and right next to his right ear. Said to have originated in Palermo. It's a gesture to the crowd to "pump up the volume" and make more sound.
  • In 2005 a rumor about his fiance being pregnant started, he and his fiance denied rumors.
  • He is currently with his fiance, Italian model Marta Cecchetto, his girlfriend for over eight years.

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Cristiano Lucarelli		 Serie A top scorer
2005-06		 Succeeded by:
Incumbent
Italy Italy squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup Champions (4th Title) Italy

1 Buffon | 2 Zaccardo | 3 Grosso | 4 De Rossi | 5 Cannavaro | 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
A.C.F. Fiorentina - Current Squad

1 Frey | 2 Krøldrup | 3 Dainelli | 4 Donadel | 5 Gamberini | 6 Potenza | 7 Do Prado | 8 Pazienza | 10 Mutu | 11 Liverani | 14 Lobonţ | 15 Paolucci | 17 Blasi | 18 Montolivo | 19 Gobbi | 20 Jørgensen | 21 Ujfaluši | 23 Pasqual | 28 Lupatelli | 29 Pazzini | 30 Toni | 32 Brivio | 34 Lepiller | 81 Santana | 83 Reginaldo
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