Toni Polster


Anton "Toni" Polster is an Austrian professional football coach and former player. He was known to fans as "Toni Doppelpack" – "Toni Brace" because of his tendency to score twice in a match. He is one of the all-time goalscorers for the Austria national team.

Playing career

Polster came through the Austria Wien youth system to make his professional league debut in August 1982, at 18 years of age. He scored his first Bundesliga goal three weeks later and went on to win three league titles and a domestic cup before moving abroad to play a season in Serie A with Torino. Polster then spent the five following years at Spanish teams Sevilla, Logroñés and Rayo Vallecano, ending up with these teams in mid-table as well except for one year, 1989–90, in which Sevilla FC ended in sixth place and played UEFA Cup the following year. In 1990, he finished runner-up in the Spanish goalscoring chart. In 1993, he moved to Germany to spend five years at Köln, again ending up in mid-table every season except for the last one in which he experienced relegation. That made him join Borussia Mönchengladbach next year but they got also relegated at the end of the season and Polster returned to Austria to play a final season at Austria Salzburg. Polster was chosen in Austria's Team of the Century in 2001 and as Austrian Sportsman of the Year in 1997.
In 1983, Polster was selected for the Austria U20 to play at the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship. In November 1982, Polster debuted for the Austria in a 4–0 victory against Turkey, immediately scoring his first goal. He participated at the 1990 and 1998 World Cups. Polster earned 95 caps, scoring a record 44 goals. He overtook the previous goalscoring record, set by Hans Krankl, in November 1996, scoring his 35th goal against Latvia.
His final international appearance was thought to be a 1998 FIFA World Cup match against Italy in June, but he was given an official farewell match in September 2000 against Iran, in which he was substituted in the 21st minute by Christian Mayrleb. His appearances record was surpassed by Andreas Herzog in May 2002.

Coaching career

Polster began his coaching career in January 2010 as the reserve-team coach at LASK. In June 2011, he became the head coach of SC Wiener Viktoria in the Austrian 2. Landesliga, the fifth tier league in Austrian football. During his first season at Wiener Viktoria, the team promoted to the fourth tier and consequently one year afterwards to the Austrian Regional League. On 17 June 2013, he accepted his first coaching role in the Austrian Bundesliga, taking over as the head coach of the top-flight side Admira Wacker Mödling. After starting the season with three straight defeats, including a 7–1 defeat to newly promoted Scholz Grödig, Polster was fired by Admira on 9 August 2013. Polster returned to SC Wiener Viktoria on 13 January 2014.

Personal life

Polster has two children named Anton and Lisa-Marie from his first marriage with Elisabeth Polster. The couple divorced in 2008 due to Polster's alleged relationship with other women. He got married for the second time to a woman named Birgit in 2018.

Career statistics

Club

International

Managerial

  • 1.Only 2010–11 season matches are included. Matches before 4 January 2010 – 6 August 2010 not included.
  • 2.Only 2012–13 season matches are included. Matches from the 2011–12 season not included.

    Honours

Austria Wien
Individual
  • Austrian Football Bundesliga Top scorer: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87
  • Austrian Footballer of the Year: 1985–86, 1996–97
  • European Golden Shoe: 1986–87
  • Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1993-94