Luca Toni to retire from football after 'worst year of my career' at Hellas Verona

• e-mail

World Cup-winning striker Luca Toni has announced he will hang up his football boots on Sunday.

The Hellas Verona star will bow out in front of his home supporters at Stadio Bentegodi against Serie A champions Juventus.

Sunday's fixture isn't Hellas' last of the season, but Toni has decided to not play at Palermo on May 15 - choosing to end his career against former club Juve.

Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni has announced his decision to retire after their match at the weekend

Toni's final game will come on Sunday when Hellas host his former club, and current champions, Juventus

'After a bit of reflection, and many years in football, I just felt the right time had come to call it a day,' Toni said on Wednesday.

'These have been difficult weeks and it was a hard decision to take, and I know there's going to be a mixture of joy and sadness between now and Sunday.'

A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, Toni has scored 156 Serie A goals in 343 games - for eight different clubs. 

Toni scored 22 goals last season to finish as the oldest-ever winner of the Serie A golden boot

He became the oldest player - at 38 - to win the Serie A golden boot, finishing joint-top with Mauro Icardi last season on 22 goals.

However, this term has contrasted differently with the veteran forward only finding the net five times in 22 appearances.

Toni's form has mirrored Hellas' with the club currently sitting bottom of the league and relegated to Serie B.

And reflecting on that, Toni admits he regrets ending his career on such a low.

'This has been the worst year of my career for various reasons - it's been a huge disappointment,' he added.

'I never had a good relationship with the coach [Gigi] Delneri, as you know, but this is not the place to talk about his decisions. This season has been a defeat for both of us.'

Toni emerged as a dominant scorer with Palermo before spells at Fiorentina and Bayern Munich during his peak years.

In 2005-06, he won the European Golden Shoe, for the leading goalscorer in the continent, with 31 for Fiorentina.

And two seasons later he was the Bundesliga's top scorer with Bayern.

During the 2006 World Cup triumph in Germany, Toni scored twice in Italy's 3-0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

Toni celebrates winning the European Golden Shoe at Fiorentina (left) and the German Cup with Bayern Munich

Toni's endured success on the international stage in 2006 by helping Italy win the World Cup in Germany