Luca Toni

Luca Toni, Italian orders of merit, (born May 26, 1977 in Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena) is an Italy football (soccer) striker who plays for FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga (football). Something of a late bloomer who played for almost ten clubs before finally settling, Toni was also a part of the Italy national football team winning team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Early career

He started his professional career at Modena F.C.. This was followed by a number of seasons spent around Serie B and Serie C1 with teams such as Empoli F.C., U.S. Fiorenzuola 1922 and A.S. Cisco Roma. After a Serie B season with Treviso F.B.C. 1993 in 1999, he moved to Vicenza Calcio, playing in Serie A for the first time. He then moved to Brescia Calcio and tried to play for two seasons along-side Roberto Baggio

Palermo

In 2003 he agreed to join ambitious Serie B club U.S. Città di 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 (sport) for the Italy national football team in a friendly match August 18, 2004 lost 2-0 to Iceland national football team in Reykjavík which also marked Marcello Lippi's debut at the helm of the azzurri.

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

In July 2005, Luca Toni was transferred by Palermo owner, Maurizio Zamparini, to Fiorentina for €10 m in a very controversial move which also caused a massive breakup between the player and the team supporters.

He helped Fiorentina qualify for the UEFA Champions League when his team ended the 2005-06 season with a fourth place finish, although this was later revoked (with a massive 15-point deduction assigned for 2006/07) due to Fiorentina's involvement in the 2006 Serie A scandal.

On May 27, 2006 Toni scored his 31st goal of the 2005-06 season and in doing so, secured the 2005-06 Capocannonieri. Toni also became the first player to score 30 goals or more in Serie A since the 1958-59 season, and the first time since 1933-34 an Italian has done such a feat. 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 F.C. and Kilmarnock F.C., 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.

Toni announced he would stay loyal to Fiorentina and stay at Florence for at least another season despite Fiorentina's Calciopoli penalty. He scored 16 goals for Fiorentina, helping them to secure a UEFA Cup spot. However, his season was short lived after suffering a metatarsus injury.

FC Bayern

On May 30 2007, FC Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that Toni had signed a 4 year contract with FC Bayern Munich after agreeing a deal worth Euro11 m with Fiorentina. On June 7 2007, Toni was presented at a Bayern Munich press conference along with fellow new signing Franck Ribéry. Toni was given the jersey number 9.
Toni scored his first official goal for Bayern Munich on August 11, 2007 against Hansa Rostock after a deceiving pass from yet another new arrival, Miroslav Klose.

National team

Toni made his debut for the Italy national football team as a substitute on on August 18, 2004 in a friendly match against Iceland national football team. He scored his first international goal in a 2006 FIFA World Cup (qualification UEFA) match against Norway national football team on September 4, 2004.

On November 17, 2004, Toni made his international start in a friendly match against Finland national football team. On June 11, 2005, Toni captained the Italy national football team for the first time in his career in a friendly match against Ecuador national football team because of the absence of current captain Fabio Cannavaro and other experienced players. On September 7, 2005, Toni scored his first international hat-trick in a 4-1 victory against Belarus national football team in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match.

Toni was selected to Italy's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, and scored two goals in the quarter-finals against Ukraine national football team on June 30, 2006, his only goals of the tournament.

Toni also scored 2 goals in Italy's 2-0 win over Scotland in a EURO 2008 Qualifier. Due to his foot surgery, Toni missed Italy's next two qualifiers against the Faroe Islands national football team and Lithuania national football team.