Everyone remembers Luca Toni for the 31-goal madness of the year before. Or maybe for the "ear-twirl" celebration at Bayern Munich. But honestly, the Luca Toni 06/07 campaign is the one that actually proves how good he was.
It was a weird time to be a Fiorentina fan. The club had just been smashed by the Calciopoli scandal. While Juventus got booted to Serie B, the Viola stayed up but started the season with a massive 15-point deduction. It was basically a death sentence. Most players would have bailed. In fact, Toni almost did. There were huge rumors about him heading to Inter Milan or overseas that summer.
He stayed. And that choice changed everything for Florence.
Luca Toni 06/07: Fighting Against the Minus 15
Imagine starting a race a mile behind everyone else. That was Fiorentina. They were dead last before a ball was even kicked. The mood was heavy, and Toni was coming off a World Cup win where he’d been the focal point for Italy. He was tired. He was 29. He had nothing left to prove in Serie A after winning the European Golden Shoe.
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But he put the team on his back.
In the 2006/07 season, Toni scored 16 goals in 29 league appearances. Now, if you look at the raw numbers, 16 is about half of what he did the previous year. Does that mean he fell off? Not a chance. He was playing in a team that was under immense psychological pressure every single week. Every game was a "must-win" just to get back to zero points.
His partnership with Adrian Mutu that year was actually kind of legendary. Mutu also bagged 16 goals. They were like a "big man, small man" combo that just clicked. While Mutu provided the flair, Toni was the wall. He spent 90 minutes wrestling with center-backs, winning headers, and holding the ball up so the midfield could breathe.
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The Numbers That Matter
People forget how efficient he was. He wasn't just stat-padding against the bottom feeders.
- Total Goals: 16 (Serie A)
- Matches Played: 29
- Minutes per Goal: Roughly one every 145 minutes.
- Assists: 4 (Often overlooked because of his height, but his touch was soft).
Without those 16 goals, Fiorentina doesn't finish 6th. And remember, they finished 6th after the 15-point deduction. If you add those points back, they would have finished 3rd, ahead of AC Milan. Let that sink in. Luca Toni helped lead a "relegation-threatened" side to what should have been a Champions League spot.
Why the 2006/07 Season Felt Different
Honestly, the style of play in Italy back then was brutal. Defenders like Cordoba, Materazzi, and Nesta weren't giving an inch. Toni was a giant—1.93 meters of muscle—but he wasn't just a "target man."
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In the 06/07 season, you started to see him evolve. He knew he was leaving. It was the worst-kept secret in football. By March 2007, the German press was already linking him to Bayern Munich. There was a famous report in La Gazzetta dello Sport claiming he’d already put his house up for sale. The club denied it, obviously, but everyone knew.
Despite the "one foot out the door" vibe, he never phoned it in. He scored a brace against Inter in the opening game (a 2-3 loss). He scored the winner against Parma in the 92nd minute. He scored twice in a 5-1 demolition of Torino. He was professional until the very last minute he wore the purple shirt.
The Bayern Move and the End of an Era
By the time May 2007 rolled around, the deal was done. Bayern Munich paid around €11 million—a steal, looking back. He left Florence as a hero, not a traitor. He’d given them two years, 47 league goals, and helped them survive the darkest period in the club's modern history.
If you’re looking for a lesson in the Luca Toni 06/07 stats, it’s not about the decline from 31 goals to 16. It’s about the context. It's about a world champion coming back to a "broken" club and making sure they didn't drown.
Next Steps for the Fans:
If you want to see how he really operated, go back and watch the highlights of the Fiorentina vs. Inter game from September 2006. Watch how he uses his body to shield the ball against prime Inter defenders. It’s a masterclass in traditional number 9 play that you just don't see much anymore. After that, compare his movement in 06/07 to his first season at Bayern to see how he adapted his game for the Bundesliga.