Toni Polster


Anton "Toni" Polster is an Austrian former professional football player and current coach. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Austria.
Polster's top flight coaching debut at Admira Wacker lasted just three league games before he was sacked 10 August 2013.

Club 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. He 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.
He was known to fans as "Toni Doppelpack" – "Toni Brace", because of his reputation for scoring two goals in many matches.
Polster was chosen in Austria's Team of the Century in 2001 and as Austrian Sportsman of the Year 1997.

International career

In 1983, Polster was selected for the Austria U20's to play at the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship.
He had already made his senior debut for Austria in November 1982 against Turkey, immediately scoring his first goal, and was a participant at the 1990 World Cup and 1998 World Cup. He 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 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.

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.17 November 1982Gerhard Hanappi Stadium, Vienna1–04–0Euro 1984 qualifier
2.7 May 1985Liebenau Stadium, Graz2–04–01986 World Cup qualifier
3.26 March 1986Stadio Friuli, Udine1–01–2Friendly
4.27 August 1986Tivoli, Innsbruck1–01–1Friendly
5.15 October 1986Liebenau Stadium, Graz2–03–0Euro 1988 qualifier
6.29 October 1986Praterstadion, Vienna1–04–1Friendly
7.29 October 1986Praterstadion, Vienna2–14–1Friendly
8.1 April 1987Praterstadion, Vienna2–22–3Euro 1988 qualifier
9.29 April 1987Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana1–01–0Euro 1988 qualifier
10.2 November 1988Praterstadion, Vienna1–03–21990 World Cup qualifier
11.20 May 1989Zentralstadion, Leipzig1–01–11990 World Cup qualifier
12.15 November 1989Praterstadion, Vienna1–03–01990 World Cup qualifier
13.15 November 1989Praterstadion, Vienna2–03–01990 World Cup qualifier
14.15 November 1989Praterstadion, Vienna3–03–01990 World Cup qualifier
15.28 March 1990Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga2–23–2Friendly
16.25 March 1992Népstadion, Budapest1–01–2Friendly
17.14 April 1992Praterstadion, Vienna3–04–0Friendly
18.27 May 1992De Baandert, Sittard-Geleen1–22–3Friendly
19.2 September 1992Linzer Stadion, Linz1–01–1Friendly
20.28 October 1992Praterstadion, Vienna3–05–21994 World Cup qualifier
21.14 April 1993Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna3–13–11994 World Cup qualifier
22.2 June 1994Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna1–41–5Friendly
23.7 September 1994Sportpark, Eschen1–04–0Euro 1996 qualifier
24.7 September 1994Sportpark, Eschen3–04–0Euro 1996 qualifier
25.7 September 1994Sportpark, Eschen4–04–0Euro 1996 qualifier
26.12 October 1994Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna1–11–2Euro 1996 qualifier
27.29 March 1995Stadion Lehen, Salzburg4–05–0Euro 1996 qualifier
28.29 March 1995Stadion Lehen, Salzburg5–05–0Euro 1996 qualifier
29.26 April 1995Stadion Lehen, Salzburg2–07–0Euro 1996 qualifier
30.26 April 1995Stadion Lehen, Salzburg4–07–0Euro 1996 qualifier
31.11 June 1995Lansdowne Road, Dublin1–13–1Euro 1996 qualifier
32.11 June 1995Lansdowne Road, Dublin3–13–1Euro 1996 qualifier
33.16 August 1995Daugava Stadium, Riga1–22–3Euro 1996 qualifier
34.24 April 1996Népstadion, Budapest1–02–0Friendly
35.9 November 1996Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna1–02–11998 World Cup qualifier
36.8 June 1997Daugava Stadium, Riga2–03–11998 World Cup qualifier
37.20 August 1997Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn1–03–01998 World Cup qualifier
38.20 August 1997Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn2–03–01998 World Cup qualifier
39.20 August 1997Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn3–03–01998 World Cup qualifier
40.11 October 1997Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna1–04–01998 World Cup qualifier
41.11 October 1997Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna3–04–01998 World Cup qualifier
42.2 June 1998Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna1–06–0Friendly
43.2 June 1998Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna6–06–0Friendly
44.11 June 1998Stadium Municipal, Toulouse1–11–11998 World Cup

Coaching career

Polster began his coaching career in January 2010 as the reserve-team coach at LASK Linz. In June 2011, he became the head coach of SC Wiener Viktoria in the Austrian 2. Landesliga, the fifth-tier in Austrian football. During his first season at Wiener Viktoria, the team promoted to the fourth-tier and consequently a year after to the third division, the so-called 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.

Career record

Club

Austria Wien