António "Toni" Oliveira

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António Oliveira known as Toni, is a coach, and was a former Portuguese football player, born on October 14, 1946 in Anadia.

[edit] Player

He started playing football at an early age for Salesianos de Mogofores (in Anadia municipality), then he went to Anadia, a bigger team, and with 17 years old he joined Académica de Coimbra (Académica) for the hand of Mário Wilson who was Académica's manager at the time. In Coimbra he made part of the team which achieved the final of Portuguese Football Cup in 1967, losing the match for Vitória de Setúbal after an extra-time. In June 9, 1968 he signed for Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Benfica), for a transfer fee of 1 305 000 PTE (about 6,500 euros today without inflation). There he became one of the most renowned players of Benfica's history. Portuguese Footballer of the Year in 1972.

He had 33 caps for Portugal national football team, from 12 October 1969, in a 0-1 defeat with Romania, during the World Cup qualifyings, to 8 March 1978, in a 0-2 defeat with France, in a friendly match.

He also played at the Independence Brazil Cup in 1972, were Portugal lost the final to Brazil. He finished his career in Benfica, in 1980/81.