Ola Toivonen facts for kids
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Toivonen with Sweden at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nils Ola Toivonen | ||
| Date of birth | 3 July 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Degerfors, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2005 | Degerfors IF | 41 | (8) |
| 2006 | Örgryte IS | 25 | (6) |
| 2007–2009 | Malmö FF | 51 | (17) |
| 2009–2014 | PSV | 139 | (61) |
| 2014–2016 | Rennes | 46 | (14) |
| 2015–2016 | → Sunderland (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2016–2018 | Toulouse | 58 | (7) |
| 2018–2020 | Melbourne Victory | 38 | (23) |
| 2020–2022 | Malmö FF | 54 | (14) |
| Total | 442 | (147) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | Sweden U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Sweden U19 | 11 | (6) |
| 2006–2009 | Sweden U21 | 28 | (13) |
| 2007–2018 | Sweden | 64 | (14) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nils Ola Toivonen (born on July 3, 1986) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder or a forward.
Ola Toivonen started his football journey with his hometown team, Degerfors IF. He then moved to Örgryte IS before joining Malmö FF in 2007. After two successful seasons with Malmö, he moved to the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in January 2009. He played for PSV for over five years, winning the KNVB Cup in 2012.
Later in his career, Toivonen played for Rennes in France and had a short loan spell with Sunderland in England. He returned to France to play for Toulouse FC in 2016. From 2018 to 2020, he played in Australia for Melbourne Victory FC. He then returned to Malmö FF before ending his professional football career in 2022.
Ola Toivonen also played for the Swedish national team from 2007 to 2018. He played in 64 matches and scored 14 goals for his country. He was part of the Swedish squads for UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Sweden reached the Quarter-Finals.
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Journey in Sweden
Ola Toivonen's father, Yrjö, was born in Finland and moved to Degerfors, Sweden, for work. Ola began his football career at Degerfors IF. In 2005, he helped his team avoid being moved down to a lower league.
He then joined Örgryte IS. His time there was short, as the team was relegated from the top league, Allsvenskan. In November 2006, Ola was recognized as the "Newcomer of the Year" at the Swedish football awards.
Making a Name at Malmö FF
Soon after, Ola signed a four-year contract with Malmö FF. This was a big move, making him one of the most expensive players the club had ever bought at that time. In his first season with Malmö in 2007, he scored three goals.
The 2008 season was a breakthrough for Ola. He played in 27 games, scoring 14 goals and making seven assists. His impressive performance caught the eye of clubs from England and the Netherlands, especially PSV Eindhoven.
Success with PSV Eindhoven
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Ola Toivonen joined PSV Eindhoven in early 2009. In his first half-season in the Netherlands, he scored 6 goals in 14 games.
On November 8, 2009, Ola had an amazing game against ADO Den Haag, scoring four goals in a 5–1 win. He even scored three goals in the first 42 minutes! His first full season in the Dutch league was very successful, as he quickly adapted and scored 13 goals.
Key Moments in 2010–11
The 2010–11 season started well for Ola. On August 7, 2010, he scored two goals in a 3–1 victory against Heerenveen. A week later, he scored his second hat-trick for PSV in a big 6–0 win over De Graafschap.
One of the most memorable games was on October 24, when PSV won 10–0 against rivals Feyenoord. Ola scored one of the six goals in the second half. He continued to score important goals throughout the season, helping PSV stay at the top of the league. By the end of the 2010–11 season, Ola had scored 15 league goals and 3 goals in the UEFA Europa League, making him the club's second-highest goal scorer.
Winning the KNVB Cup in 2011–12
In the 2011–12 season, Ola continued to be a key player for PSV. He scored his first goal of the season on August 21 in a 3–0 win against ADO Den Haag. He also scored in the Europa League qualifying stages.
PSV had a fantastic season, winning the KNVB Cup in 2012. Ola played a big part in this success, scoring 18 goals in the league and 6 goals in the Europa League.
Later Years at PSV
In the 2012–13 season, Ola played fewer games due to injuries but still managed to score eight goals in 17 appearances. PSV wanted him to extend his contract, but he decided not to. This led to discussions about him leaving the club.
By the 2013–14 season, it was clear Ola would move on. He made 14 appearances and scored one goal before leaving in the winter break.
Moving to Rennes
On January 20, 2014, Ola Toivonen joined the French club Rennes. He quickly made an impact, scoring 7 goals in 15 games during his first half-season. He continued to play for Rennes in the 2014–15 season.
Loan Spell at Sunderland
On August 28, 2015, Ola moved to the English Premier League side Sunderland on a season-long loan. He reunited with his former PSV manager, Dick Advocaat. He made his debut the next day and even assisted a goal. Ola scored his only goal for Sunderland in a League Cup match against Manchester City on September 22, 2015.
Joining Toulouse
After his loan at Sunderland, Ola Toivonen returned to France and signed with Toulouse FC on August 4, 2016. He played for Toulouse for two seasons.
Adventures in Australia with Melbourne Victory
On August 31, 2018, Ola signed with the A-League club Melbourne Victory FC in Australia.
In his first season, he played 26 matches and scored 17 goals, with 15 of them in the A-League. His excellent performance earned him the TAC Victoria Golden Boot award. He was also the only Melbourne Victory player chosen for the A-League Team of the Season.
In September 2019, Ola Toivonen became the new captain of Melbourne Victory. However, in May 2020, he decided to return to his former club, Malmö FF.
Returning Home to Malmö FF
Ola Toivonen officially rejoined Malmö FF on June 8, 2020. On November 8, 2020, he scored a goal that helped Malmö FF become Swedish Champions for the 21st time. This was Ola's first-ever league title!
In 2021, he played eight matches before a knee injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Despite his injury, the team won the league again, giving Ola his second league title with Malmö FF. He made his return to play in 2022.
Ola Toivonen officially retired from professional football after the 2022 Allsvenskan season.
International Career
Ola Toivonen played for Sweden's national youth teams before joining the senior team. On August 21, 2007, he scored three goals for the Sweden U21 against Wales U21. He was also part of the U-21 team that played in the 2009 European Championship, where he scored three goals.
His first game for the senior Sweden team was on January 14, 2007.
Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ola scored his first international goal for Sweden on May 29, 2010, in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sweden won that game 4–2. On August 11, 2010, he scored his second international goal in a 3–0 win against Scotland.
In May 2018, Ola was selected for Sweden's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He scored the first goal in a match against Germany on June 23, 2018. In August 2018, Ola Toivonen announced that he was retiring from international football.
Personal Life
Ola Toivonen is married to Emma, and they have two children named Selma and Nils.
Honours and Awards
Ola Toivonen achieved several honors throughout his career:
PSV
- KNVB Cup: 2011–12
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2012
Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan (Swedish League Champions): 2020, 2021
- Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup): 2021–22
Sweden U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship bronze medal: 2009
Individual Awards
- Swedish Newcomer of the Year: 2006
- A-League Team of the Season: 2018–19
- TAC Victoria Golden Boot: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Ola Toivonen para niños
