Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni says he will cherish memories of his final Serie A game “forever” after a fairy-tale swansong saw him score a cheeky “Panenka” spot-kick in 2-1 win over champions Juventus on Sunday.
“It will be a match I remember forever. It was my last, but it came at the right time,” Toni told Mediaset after being given a rousing ovation by a fired-up Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi crowd.
Toni, a former FIFA World Cup winner with Italy who once finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with Bayern Munich, announced last week that playing Juventus would be the final challenge of his 22-year career.
Photo: EPA
The 38-year-old was given the chance to score when the referee awarded an arguably soft penalty two minutes before the interval after Juve defender Alex Sandro’s collision with Eros Pisano.
Toni beat second-choice Juventus goalkeeper Norberto Neto with a cheeky, Panenka-style spot-kick that capped his Serie A career tally at 157 goals in 344 games.
It turned out to be the cherry on the cake of a win that saw Juve striker Paulo Dybala reduce the arrears from the penalty spot after Federico Viviani had given the hosts a 2-0 lead on 55 minutes.
However, Toni, known for his peculiar habit of shaking his hand near his temple to celebrate his goals, admitted he had no clue where to strike the ball.
“I didn’t know whether to shoot it right or left, so I opted for the scavino [chip],” he said. “All goals are great, but... tonight’s is maybe the best because it wrapped up my career in a very emotional way.”
Toni, who won the World Cup in 2006, has scored Serie A goals for eight different clubs throughout a career that also saw him star for Bayern and top the Bundesliga scoring charts in 2007-2008.
Last season Toni, at 38, became the oldest player to win Serie A’s Capocannoniere (top-scorer) award — an accolade he shared with Inter striker Mauro Icardi when they both finished on 22 goals, but at the tail end of a “terrible” season that has seen Verona relegated, he finally decided to hang up his boots.
Toni admitted last week that he was going through a roller coaster of emotions as his final game approached, saying: “It’s an intense experience.”
He was given a rousing ovation when replaced five minutes from time and had to fight back the tears as he admitted: “This farewell is one of the most beautiful moments for me, but it’s also one of the most sad because giving up football is not easy.”
After several months’ rest, Toni said he is now hoping to take up some kind of backroom role, because coaching would make him age too quickly.
“I don’t want to be a coach because I’ve seen all the other players who have done that. In just one season, you age five years,” he said.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Gonzalo Higuain’s 33rd strike of the season maintained SSC Napoli’s bid to secure UEFA Champions League soccer.
AS Roma, looking for a third consecutive runners-up spot, had piled the pressure on Napoli with a 3-0 thumping of AC Chievo Verona earlier on Sunday. The Giallorossi held a one-point lead on the Azzurri ahead of a tough encounter at Torino, but having already lost out on a first title in 26 years, Napoli are not letting second place, and a chance to return to Europe’s premier club competition, slip so easily.
Higuain broke the deadlock on 12 minutes and Jose Callejon doubled Napoli’s lead before halftime. Although Bruno Peres reduced the arrears on 66 minutes, Napoli survived a late push to clinch the points.
Earlier, fans turned out to pack the Stadio Olimpico as Francesco Totti made his 600th Serie A appearance for Roma.
It could have been the 39-year-old’s final game in Rome amid hesitation from the club to offer him a contract for a 24th and final year.
Only Inter legend Javier Zanetti (615) and AC Milan great Paolo Maldini (647) have made more appearances in Serie A.
At the bottom of the table, Carpi’s 3-1 loss to SS Lazio saw them fall into the relegation places after US Citta di Palermo escaped the bottom three after a goalless draw at ACF Fiorentina.
Elsewhere, Genoa won 3-0 away at UC Sampdoria, Frosinone were beaten 1-0 at home by US Sassuolo and Atalanta BC were held 1-1 at home by Udinese.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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