The Luca Toni Tour: Discover Italy by Following the Former Striker’s Footballing Journey

A World Cup winner and the fourth-highest-scoring Italian player across all competitions, Luca Toni is a calcio icon.

Born in a small town in Emilia-Romagna, he was a late bloomer and considered giving up football early on as he bounced around the lower leagues. But, he stuck to it.

“In football, nothing is impossible,” he told La Repubblica in 2023. “I started out in Stella, a village of five hundred people. If anyone had told me back then that I’d become a world champion, I would never have believed them. I’d have thought they were crazy.”

Across his 22-year career, Toni represented 13 Italian clubs, played for Bayern Munich and Al Nasr, and won 47 caps. Here’s how his journey unfolded.

Modena 1994-96

Toni joined Modena’s academy aged 13 and made his professional debut in March 1995. They were relegated to Serie C2 at the end of the season, only to be handed a lifeline following Crevalcore’s financial troubles. Toni scored five league goals in his second season, helping the team avoid relegation.

Modena today: The home of balsamic vinegar and Lambrusco, and the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari and Luciano Pavarotti, Modena has many claims to fame. The city is also home to a vibrant football culture, with I Canarini pushing for promotion to Serie A.

Scotland international Josh Doig made the city home after swapping Verona for Sassuolo two years ago. “It’s the place I’ve probably felt most at home,” he told Destination Calcio. “In Modena, I do feel I’m just chilled. I just feel very settled here.”

Empoli 1996-97

Toni’s first transfer came in the summer of 1996 when he joined promoted Empoli in Serie B under the guidance of Luciano Spalletti. But opportunities were limited and he managed one goal in three games.

Empoli today: Off the beaten track in Tuscany but worth a visit. They are desperate to return to Serie A after a disappointing Serie B campaign last term and the stadium, a 15-minute walk from the city centre, is undergoing major redevelopment. For foodies, the city is the world capital of artichokes. There’s even a festival to celebrate them.

Fiorenzuola 1997-98

While Empoli won back-to-back promotions under Spalletti, Toni dropped back to Serie C1 with Fiorenzuola, where he scored just twice in 26 appearances. He grew so frustrated with manager Alberto Cavasin, who regularly kept him on the bench, that he briefly contemplated retirement.

Fiorenzuola today: The team have tumbled down the leagues but the city is the perfect jumping-off point to explore the Val d’Arda, a valley rich in medieval history and Emilia-Romagna’s famous food culture. The Abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba—a beautiful 12th-century Cistercian monastery—and the medieval hilltop villages of Castell’Arquato and Vigoleno, both with remarkably well-preserved castles, are just a short bike ride away.

Lodigiani 1998-99

Toni’s loan at Lodigiani proved far more successful – 15 goals in 31 league appearances to help them to a relatively tranquil survival in Serie C1. His performances in Rome convinced Empoli to sign him outright, before selling him to Treviso months later.

Lodigiani today: The club’s greatest claim to fame is that they discovered and nurtured Francesco Totti, who played in their youth system before moving across the capital city to Roma.

Totti is immortalised in three murals across Rome, but unlike those dedicated to Diego Maradona in Naples, these won’t appear on any official guides. You’ll have to go and find them.

Treviso 1999-00

Toni announced himself on Italian football’s big stage in Treviso. Long before plummeting all the way down to Serie D, the Biancocelesti were a Serie B staple with lofty ambitions and Toni was a statement signing at the beginning of the 1999-00 season. He lived up to expectations, rattling in 15 goals in 35 league appearances as Treviso finished eighth.

Treviso today: Prosecco country, need we say more? The city serves as the gateway to Veneto’s famous rolling hills where Prosecco comes from. A weekend of wine tasting and a bit of Serie D action watching the local side as they try to get back to the world of professional football. Who says no?

Vicenza 2000-01

Toni remained in Veneto but went up a division, joining newly-promoted Vicenza and making his Serie A debut. Nine goals in 31 appearances in his first season in the top flight was a decent enough return and earned him a move to Brescia, but it did not prevent a swift return to Serie B for Vicenza.

Vicenza today: A UNESCO World Heritage site and a must-visit for anyone with even a passing interest in Renaissance architecture. Much as is the case for neighbouring Padua, Vicenza is blessed with stunning buildings but doesn’t feel nearly as busy as the likes of Venice and Verona.

Best of all, Serie B is back at the Stadio Romeo Menti next season, with spicy all-Veneto derbies against Padova and Hellas Verona on the cards.

Brescia 2001-03

Brescia shelled out €15m to make Toni their record signing in the summer of 2001, teaming him with Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola. Toni plundered 13 goals in 28 appearances in his first season in Lombardy before a serious knee injury restricted him to just two goals in 13 games in his second campaign.

“It was a squad made up of so many hungry players, plus two absolute world-class talents, in Robi and Pep,” Toni told La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2024. “Yet they completely bought into the mindset of a team that had to battle every single Sunday. Baggio and Guardiola fit in so seamlessly that to this day, we still get together for dinner.”

Brescia today: The club Toni, Baggio and Guardiola played for went bust last summer and has been reformed as Union Brescia. It will be worth watching how their season unfolds in Serie C.

Palermo 2003-05

Toni’s injury in his second season at Brescia did not deter Palermo from shelling out €8m in the summer of 2003 to bolster their attack in a bid to return to Serie A for the first time in three decades.

It was one of the best transfers in calcio history. Toni rifled in 30 goals in 45 league games as they won promotion and added 20 in 30 Serie A matches the following term as Palermo finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup.

“I spent two wonderful years at Palermo,” he told Giornale di Sicilia in 2017. “That experience opened the doors to elite football for me, leading to success at club level and a World Cup victory.”

Palermo today: The Sicilian capital has it all – the food, the weather, and a stadium with one of the most stunning backdrops in the whole of Italy. The Sicilians may not have been in Serie A for a decade, but they remain as passionate about their team as ever. It is a great place to watch football.

Fiorentina 2005-07 and 2012-13

By now established as one of the best strikers in Italy, the itinerant nature of Toni’s career showed no sign of stopping. He left Palermo for Fiorentina for €10m in the summer of 2005 and hit the ground running, scoring on his debut as La Viola beat Sampdoria 2-1.

With the exception of Christian Rigano, who had helped Fiorentina climb from Serie C back into the top flight following their bankruptcy two years earlier, Florence had been searching for a hero since Gabriel Batistuta had departed in 2000.

In Toni, they found a suitable replacement as he claimed 31 goals in 38 league games, setting a club record for Serie A goals in a single season and becoming the first Italian to win the Golden Boot as European football’s most prolific striker.

Fiorentina finished ninth but Toni’s exploits earned him a call-up for the 2006 World Cup and he backed up his performances in his second season in Florence, scoring 16 goals and forming a fearsome partnership with Adrian Mutu, who also netted 16. Fiorentina finished sixth and Toni left for Bayern Munich, before returning to Tuscany in 2012, when he scored eight goals to help La Viola to fourth place and Champions League qualification.

“Florence is a wonderful city that showers its idols with love – I know that from personal experience,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport last year.

Florence today: From taking in the view of the city from Piazza Michelangelo to grabbing a beer surrounded by the ultras at Bar Tabacchi Marisa before heading in to the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence will always be one of our favourite destinations for a calcio trip.

Roma 2010

After winning two domestic doubles in three seasons with Bayern Munich, Toni returned to Italy when he joined Roma on a six-month loan in January 2010.

He scored five goals in 15 Serie A outings as the Giallorossi, with Claudio Ranieri in charge, finished runners-up to Inter in the league and the Coppa Italia.

“Winning in Rome is a bit more difficult because they’re very passionate fans, but that also makes it beautiful,” Toni told TeleRadioStereo in 2017.

Rome today: History, food and one of the greatest football cities in the world. The atmosphere for the Derby della Capitale simply crackles and as for Rome itself, it is one of the most coveted and visited destinations in the world.

Genoa 2010-11

Toni joined Genoa on a permanent basis in the summer of 2010 and vowed to regain his place in the Italy squad after missing the World Cup.

He only managed three goals in 16 league appearances, prompting then-president Enrico Preziosi to publicly criticise him, rating his season three out of 10.

Genoa today: With its English-style ends – as opposed to the traditional curvas – and a febrile atmosphere whenever one of Genoa and Sampdoria are at home, the Marassi should be on the bucket list of any calcio fan. Genoa is also the birthplace of pesto and focaccia.

Juventus 2011-12

Toni’s departure from Genoa took him further north to Turin, where he was firmly a Juventus fringe player.

He will go down in club history though, as the first scorer in the new Allianz Stadium, in a 1-1 friendly against Notts County.

Turin today: Turin has long since ditched its industrial past and developed into a vibrant, modern city. It also boasts a proud gastronomic tradition and you can check out Zinedine Zidane’s favourite restaurant or kick-off your day in Gianluigi Buffon’s old local.

Verona 2013-16

Following a brief stint in Saudi Arabia, Toni headed to Verona for the final act. He scored 20 goals in his first campaign to set a club record before finishing as Serie A’s joint-top scorer alongside Mauro Icardi in his second term. He became the first Verona player in to win the award and the first Italian to win the Capocannoniere with two different clubs.

Toni remains a cult hero in a city he fell in love with.

Verona today: Best known for Shakespearean tales, its Roman amphitheatre and stunning food, Verona is one of calcio’s postcard-perfect settings with another stadium that will take you back to Italia 90. Plan your matchday for 2026-27.