Goalkeeper Toldo calls time on 20-year career

Former Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo announced on Wednesday that he was calling time on a professional career that began back in 1990.

“The holidays are going well. And this year they are going to be long… in the sense that I am stopping as a player,” the 38-year-old told his club television channel at Inter Milan.

“This is the first time that I have said this officially and as such it is quite emotional for me.”

Toldo spent most of his career at two of the great clubs in Italy. He had eight years at Fiorentina with whom he won two Italian Cups and then in 2001 moved to Inter.

In spite of being displaced by Julio Cesar in 2005, he still garnered five league titles, two Italian Cups and was on the bench for the Champions League final win over Bayern Munich in Madrid in May.

Toldo won 28 caps for Italy, making his debut in 1995.

With Gianluigi Buffon injured, he was number one keeper in the team that lost the Euro 2000 final to France. His finest hour, though, came in the semi-final against Netherlands when he saved three penalties – one in normal time and two in the shoot-out – to send the Italians into the final.

He was also in the Italian squads for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups as well as the European championships in 1996 and 2004.