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Former Bayern star Luca Toni retires at 38

May 4, 2016

Despite topping the Serie A scoring charts last year, former Bayern Munich and Italy frontman will retire after his current club Verona's fixture against Juventus on Sunday. Toni, 38, was Bundesliga top scorer in 2008.

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Italien Fußball Luca Toni
Image: imago/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Former Bayern Munich frontman and Italian international Luca Toni, 38, will hang up his boots after his club Verona’s final Serie A game against Juventus on Sunday.

Toni announced his retirement from football at a press conference on Wednesday after an impressive Indian summer with Verona that saw him finish joint top scorer in Italy’s top flight last season with 22 goals. He is the oldest player to top the scoring charts and in total, the 2006 World Cup winner scored 156 Serie A goals for eight different clubs.

He is best remembered in Germany for his three-year spell at Bayern between 2007-10 in which he scored 38 Bundesliga goals and was the division’s top scorer in the 2007-2008 season.

Fussball Bundesliga FC Schalke 04 Bayern München
Luca Toni in action for Bayern Munich in 2008, the year he was Bundesliga top scorerImage: AP

His current club were relegated from Serie A last week having spent most of the season at the foot of the table and Toni admitted the north-eastern club's troubles this season had prompted his decision.

"After so many years of playing football, 22 in the professional ranks, I think the time has arrived for me to say goodbye," Toni said on Wednesday.

"It was a difficult decision for me to make but I think it's the right decision to stop. I will feel a mix of joy and sadness, but I think it's right for me to retire at home with Verona on Sunday against Juve. We've had a terrible year and for me, mentally, I think I've come to the end."

mp/jh (AFP)