Skip to content

Italy World Cup winner Luca Toni set to retire from football

Luca Toni (right) celebrates Italy's World Cup win in 2006 with team-mates Simone Perrotta, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Andrea Pirlo
Image: Luca Toni (right) celebrates Italy's World Cup win in 2006 with team-mates Simone Perrotta, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Andrea Pirlo

Italy's World Cup-winning striker Luca Toni is set to call time on his 22-year career at the end of the season.

The 38-year-old Hellas Verona forward, who has played for 15 clubs, has scored just once in Serie A this season with his team still winless and seemingly bound for relegation.

However, Toni, who scored 22 goals to share the Capocannoniere top-scorer award alongside Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi last year, is determined to keep the club in the top flight before retiring in May.

Luca Toni of Hellas Verona against Empoli
Image: Toni playing for Hellas Verona against Empoli in Serie A

Following Verona's 1-0 home defeat to Empoli on Sunday, he said: "We want to do it; we should not give up now.

"Maybe it's time for me to retire, so I want to do so having helped Verona survive."

Toni made a name for himself with prolific spells at Palermo and Fiorentina before helping Italy win the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Italian forward Luca Toni celebrates after winning the World Cup with Italy
Image: Toni celebrates after winning the World Cup with Italy

He joined Bayern Munich the following year but, having enjoyed a fine start to life in the Bundesliga, fell out with then-manager Louis van Gaal before returning to Serie A.

Also See:

Former France international Sebastien Frey, another Fiorentina favourite, has also announced his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old goalkeeper spent the majority of his career in Italy after leaving Cannes in 1998 and made over 200 appearances for the Tuscan club.

Sebastien Frey, seen during his time with Fiorentina, has announced his retirement
Image: Sebastien Frey, seen during his time with Fiorentina, has announced his retirement

A member of France's Euro 2008 squad, Frey, who also had spells with Inter Milan and Parma, left Turkish club Bursaspor in the summer and announced the decision to hang up his gloves on his Instagram account.

"The time to say thank you arrived," said Frey, capped twice by France. "Thank you all for having always supported me during my career, helping me to grow as a footballer and especially as a man."

Around Sky