Luca Toni

I'm saying in the past...

this would have frustrated France so much because Moise Keane would have been replaced by either Luca Toni, Pipo Inzaghi, or someone of that caliber and scored a goal where we would be leading this game 1-0.

And then France would have to have come on the offensive and France would have had to, you know, pull out a Michael Olise wonder free kick to tie this game 1-1.

But we don't have right now that attacking power.

Yeah.

What's your thoughts on Esposito? Do you think he's the real deal? He was saying, like, he reminds me a lot more of Vieri.

Like, I don't get what people talk about Luca Toni, but a lot more Vieri.

His brother as well coming on there.

And for me, I've always said he reminds me of Vieri.

Some people say Luca Toni, no chance, much more Christian Vieri than Luca Toni, because Luca Toni wasn't as mobile as Christian Vieri, wasn't as dynamic.

Francesco Pio Esposito is much more dynamic, more like Vieri than Luca Toni.

So he's one goal behind Ravanelli after 13 caps, two goals after Riccardo Carapalese in nine, Gino Rossetti, Luca Cerenini also in nine, Sandro Mazzola, the late Sandro Mazzola, 10 goals after 13 caps, Giulio Libonati, 11 after 13 caps, and then, of course, Miazza Piola, 12, Bettega, 13, Gigi Riva, 15.

So the reason I bring this up is because we are looking at potentially, at the beginning of a historic Italy career.

They got to the quarter-finals of the, uh, Eu- UEFA Cup, lost to Bayern Munich over two legs in, in really, well, sensational fashion.

They lost, you know, they drew 3-3 in the second leg, were winning 3-1, and then Luca Toni scored-

Yeah

... um, in, in, in extra time, in, in injury time of extra time.

Totti was subbed off in the match.

And then there were huge players still on the pitch, like Luca Toni.

Even Iaquinta, I believe, was in the ranking to be taking the next penalty.

And Lippi, the coach of the Italian national team, stopped it.

Obviously Italy went and asked Carlo Ancelotti during the summer, would it be interesting coming back? He's obviously signed a new contract with Brazil.

they've just had two friendlies against Australia and they won the one yesterday 4-2 but Italy are at a much different place than what they were in 2006 like if you think of that 2006 team that won the World Cup you think of Buffon Cannavaro Matarazzi Grosso De Rossi Gattuso Pirlo Del Piero Totti even the legends like Quinta and Emery but maybe less so about them Luca Toni obviously as well And you think of the Italian team now, it doesn't really roll off the tongue as what that team did.

There's a lot of reasons for why Italian football is where it is.

They lost to Belgium in the first game 2-0.

We've already mentioned Christian Vieri on this, uh, this, uh, this show.

Of course, there was Luca Toni as well.

Uh, and also Serie A defenders, they still struggle with a big number nine.

A big, a, a big, powerful number nine doesn't have to have the most refined feet on earth.

And I said it when I, when, and, and I've said it since I started watching him in Serie B with Spezia.

Um, uh, he, he has that...

He, he's more like Vieri than he is Luca Toni.

Luca Toni for me was always a little bit heavy.