Portuguese footballer (born 1946)
António José da Conceição Oliveira (born 14 October 1946), known as Toni (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈtɔni] ), is a Portuguese former football midfielder and manager .
A Portugal international on more than 30 occasions, his career was mainly associated with Benfica . He totalled 22 major honours with his main club as both a player and manager, and also worked in the latter capacity in six other countries.
Club career
Born in the village of Mogofores in Anadia , Aveiro District , Toni started playing organized football at local Anadia FC , and joined Académica de Coimbra at the age of 18 when he was signed by manager Mário Wilson .[1] During his spell with the latter club, he was rarely played over three Primeira Liga seasons.[2] [3] [4]
On 9 June 1968, Toni joined S.L. Benfica for a transfer fee of 1,305,000 escudos . He scored one goal in 22 games in his debut campaign , helping his team to the national championship.[5]
Toni was part of the legendary Jimmy Hagan -led sides that won back-to-back domestic leagues from 1971 –1973 , losing only one match in 60; to this feat, he contributed three goals from 50 appearances.[6] [7] Before retiring in 1981 at 34, he appeared in 391 competitive matches with his main club (23 goals), and was named Portuguese Footballer of the Year in 1972.[8]
International career
Toni earned 32 caps for Portugal , his debut coming on 12 October 1969 in a 1–0 away loss against Romania for the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers . His last match occurred eight years later, in a 2–0 friendly defeat in France .[9]
Toni was part of the country's squad at the 1972 Brazil Independence Cup , lost to the hosts .[10]
Coaching career
One year after retiring, Toni began working as assistant at Benfica, successively holding the position under Sven-Göran Eriksson ,[11] Pál Csernai , John Mortimore and Ebbe Skovdahl . He was promoted to head coach early into the 1987–88 season , and led the team to the second place in the league and the final of the European Cup , lost to PSV Eindhoven on penalties .[12]
Toni managed Benfica to its 28th national championship in the 1988–89 campaign , losing only twice in 38 matches. After replacing fired Tomislav Ivić in November 1992, he won another league in 1994 .[13]
Starting in 1994, Toni spent one year working abroad, with Ligue 1 side FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Sevilla FC in the Spanish La Liga . He won the UEFA Intertoto Cup with the former, but was sacked due to poor results in the domestic front; with the latter, he arrived at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium alongside player Emílio Peixe , being relieved of his duties on 15 October 1995 following a 0–3 home loss against RCD Espanyol .[14]
In 1999, Toni assisted compatriot Carlos Queiroz at the United Arab Emirates national team .[15] In December of the following year, the former returned to Benfica for a third spell after José Mourinho resigned from the position as new president Manuel Vilarinho had declared his intention to bring in Toni during the election campaign, with Mourinho leaving midway through 2000–01 .[16]
In the next years, Toni was in charge of Shenyang Jinde FC (Chinese Super League ), Al-Ahly SC (Egyptian Premier League , winning the domestic Supercup ), Ettifaq FC (Saudi Professional League , leading them to the fourth place) and Al-Sharjah SCC (UAE Arabian Gulf League ). During the 2010 FIFA World Cup , he acted as match analyst for Ivory Coast .
Toni returned to Saudi Arabia in summer 2010, reaching the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League with Ittihad FC . On 9 June 2012, he signed a two-year contract with Iran Pro League club Tractor SC .[17]
After failing to qualify from the 2013 Champions League group stage , it was announced Toni's contract would not be renewed, and he left in May.[18] However, he returned on 28 January 2014, winning that season 's Iranian Hazfi Cup after defeating Sanat Mes Kerman FC .[19]
Toni as head coach of Al-Ittihad
On 12 February 2015, Toni returned to Tractor for a third stint after agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year deal.[20] He left his post in December.[21]
Personal life
Toni's son, also named António , was also a football player and manager.[22]
Managerial statistics
As of 30 November 2015 [23] [24]
Team
From
To
Record
G
W
D
L
Win %
Benfica
November 1987
June 1989
87
52
24
11
0 59.77
Benfica
October 1992
July 1994
86
57
20
9
0 66.28
Bordeaux
July 1994
May 1995
34
16
7
11
0 47.06
Sevilla
June 1995
October 1995
10
2
4
4
0 20.00
Benfica
December 2000
December 2001
43
17
16
10
0 39.53
Shenyang Jinde
May 2002
May 2003
31
11
8
12
0 35.48
Al-Ahly
July 2003
September 2003
8
3
2
3
0 37.50
Al-Ittifaq
June 2007
June 2008
28
13
7
8
0 46.43
Al-Sharjah
June 2008
September 2009
26
8
3
15
0 30.77
Ittihad
August 2010
June 2011
23
12
8
3
0 52.17
Tractor
June 2012
May 2013
42
20
13
9
0 47.62
Tractor
January 2014
June 2014
14
6
2
6
0 42.86
Tractor
February 2015
December 2015
32
16
9
7
0 50.00
Kazma
July 2017
June 2019
64
27
21
16
0 42.19
Honours
Player
Académica
Benfica
Primeira Divisão : 1968–69 , 1970–71 , 1971–72 , 1972–73 , 1974–75 , 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1980–81 [25]
Taça de Portugal:[26] 1968–69 , 1969–70, 1971–72, 1979–80
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira : 1979
Taça de Honra (6)[26]
Individual
Manager
Benfica
Bordeaux
Al-Ahly
Al-Ittifaq
Ittihad
Tractor
Kazma
Individual
IFCA Manager of the Month: February 2015
References
^ "Parabéns Toni!" [Happy birthday Toni!] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal . 14 October 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2023 .
^ "Época 1965/66: Primeira Divisão" [1965/66 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 12 October 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Época 1966/67: Primeira Divisão" [1966/67 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Época 1967/68: Primeira Divisão" [1967/68 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 21 October 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Época 1968/69: Primeira Divisão" [1968/69 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Época 1971/72: Primeira Divisão" [1971/72 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Época 1972/73: Primeira Divisão" [1972/73 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 27 April 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ a b Conceição Silva, Rui Manuel. "Portugal – Footballer of the Year" . RSSSF . Retrieved 7 July 2016 .
^ "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 22 May 2023 .
^ Reyes, Macario. "Brazil Independence Cup 1972" . RSSSF. Retrieved 22 May 2023 .
^ Rodrigues, Berta (25 November 2013). "Eriksson: Benfica, Portugal e a vida na história dele" [Eriksson: Benfica, Portugal and life in his story] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 11 July 2016 .
^ a b M. Ross, James. "European Competitions 1987–88" . RSSSF. Retrieved 11 July 2016 .
^ Sousa, Hugo Daniel (11 May 2010). "Jorge Jesus é o quarto treinador português campeão pelo Benfica" [Jorge Jesus is the fourth Portuguese manager champion with Benfica]. Público (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016 .
^ Gómez, Jesús (16 October 1995). "Juan Carlos Álvarez releva a Toni al frente del Sevilla" [Juan Carlos Álvarez takes over for Toni at the helm of Sevilla]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 July 2016 .
^ Macedo, André (25 August 1999). "Carlos Queiroz demitido dos Emirados Árabes" [Carlos Queiroz dismissed at the Arab Emirates]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 November 2018 .
^ "José Mourinho: "Vilarinho não manda nada no Benfica" " [José Mourinho: "Vilarinho is not the boss of anything at Benfica"]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 December 2000. Retrieved 22 November 2018 .
^ "Official: Toni becomes new Tractor head coach" . Goal . 9 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012 .
^ "Tractor Sazi fires coach Oliveira" . Persian League. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013 .
^ a b "Toni regressa ao Tractor e conquista a taça do Irão em futebol" [Toni returns to Tractor and wins Iranian cup in football]. Luxemburger Wort (in Portuguese). 14 February 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2021 .
^ Ruela, João (13 February 2015). "Toni volta a comandar o Tractor" [Toni back in charge of Tractor]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2018 .
^ "Toni Oliveira quits Iran's Tractor Sazi job" . Tasnim News Agency . 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015 .
^ "Treinador António Oliveira, filho de Toni, ambiciona "alcançar o top europeu" " [Manager António Oliveira, Toni's son, aims to "reach the European top"] (in Portuguese). TSF . 28 July 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2019 .
^ Toni coach profile at Soccerway
^ Toni manager profile at BDFutbol
^ "Especial 'Tetra' " ['Tetra' special edition]. Mística (in Portuguese). No. 33. Portugal: Impresa Publishing. April–June 2017. p. 76. ISSN 3846-0823 .
^ a b "Bicampeões para a história" [Back-to-back champions for the ages]. Visão (in Portuguese). Portugal: Impresa Publishing. May 2015. p. 53. ISSN 0872-3540 .
Further reading
Correia, Palmira (January 2003). Toni, o Benfica na alma [Toni, Benfica in his soul ] (Second ed.). Garrido Editores. ISBN 972-8738-56-0 .
External links