Antoni Lima

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Toni Lima

| image = Antoni Lima Solà 2007.jpg

| caption = Lima in 2007

| fullname = Antoni Lima Solà

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|9|22|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Gavà, Spain

| height = 1.91 m

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub = Arsenal (scout)

| youthyears1 = 1986–1989

| youthyears2 = 1989–1990

| youthclubs1 = Barcelona

| youthclubs2 = Damm

| years1 = 1988–1989

| years2 = 1990–1991

| years3 = 1991–1992

| years4 = 1991

| years5 = 1992–1995

| years6 = 1995–1996

| years7 = 1996–1997

| years8 = 1997–1998

| years9 = 1998–1999

| years10 = 1999–2000

| years11 = 2000–2001

| years12 = 2001

| years13 = 2002–2003

| years14 = 2003–2004

| years15 = 2004–2006

| years16 = 2006

| years17 = 2006–2008

| years18 = 2007–2008

| clubs1 = Barcelona C

| clubs2 = Real Madrid B

| clubs3 = Hospitalet

| clubs4 = Español

| clubs5 = Palamós

| clubs6 = Poli Almería

| clubs7 = Murcia

| clubs8 = Poli Almería

| clubs9 = União Madeira

| clubs10 = Hospitalet

| clubs11 = Gavà

| clubs12 = Ionikos

| clubs13 = Gavà

| clubs14 = Palamós B

| clubs15 = Palamós

| clubs16 = Amurrio

| clubs17 = Ibiza-Eivissa B

| clubs18 = Ibiza-Eivissa

| caps1 = 3

| caps2 = 8

| caps3 = 34

| caps4 = 2

| caps5 = 100

| caps6 = 30

| caps7 = 21

| caps8 = 34

| caps9 = 7

| caps10 = 30

| caps11 = 24

| caps12 = 3

| caps13 = 54

| caps14 = 31

| caps15 = 56

| caps16 =

| caps17 =

| caps18 =

| totalcaps =

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 7

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 9

| goals6 = 1

| goals7 = 1

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 1

| goals11 = 0

| goals12 = 0

| goals13 = 6

| goals14 = 0

| goals15 = 4

| goals16 =

| goals17 =

| goals18 =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1997–2009

| nationalteam1 = Andorra

| nationalcaps1 = 64

| nationalgoals1 = 1

}}

Antoni "Toni" Lima Solà (born 22 September 1970) is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Early life

Born in Gavà, Barcelona, Catalonia to an Andalusian father and a Catalan mother,{{cite news|url=https://www.diariandorra.ad/noticies/dmg/amb_cara_ulls/2019/04/07/ildefons_lima_mapamundi_144192_1173.html|title=Ildefons Lima i el mapamundi|trans-title=Ildefons Lima and the world map|newspaper=Diari d'Andorra|first=Alba|last=Doral|language=ca|date=7 April 2019|access-date=29 December 2019}} Lima's family moved to Andorra when he was nine years old.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKrA78HA_5Q&t=103|title=Fiebre Maldini: Ildefons Lima, orgullo de Andorra {{!}} Movistar+|trans-title=Fiebre Maldini: Ildefons Lima, pride of Andorra {{!}} Movistar+|via=YouTube|language=es|access-date=29 December 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/aKrA78HA_5Q|archive-date=21 December 2021}}{{cbignore}}

Club career

Lima had a brief spell with Real Madrid Castilla, then signed with RCD Español, for which he played two La Liga games.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/10/28/pagina-10/1249446/pdf.html|title=Otro aire, pero los mismos fallos|trans-title=Another allure, but the same mistakes|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=M.C.|last=Canovas|language=es|date=28 October 1991|access-date=3 June 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/11/04/pagina-12/1243392/pdf.html|title=Sarrià se levanta en armas|trans-title=Sarrià is up in arms|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Andrés|last=Astruells|language=es|date=4 November 1991|access-date=3 June 2016}} In 1992, he stayed in his native region and spent three seasons with Palamós CF in the Segunda División, being relegated in the last.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1995/06/12/deportes/802908040_850215.html|title=Adiós con derrota|trans-title=Goodbye with loss|newspaper=El País|first=Pere|last=Subirana|language=es|date=12 June 1995|access-date=4 January 2023}}

After another season in the second division, with CP Almería, Lima spent the remainder of his Spanish career in the Segunda División B or lower. He also had two abroad experiences: in 1998 he joined C.F. União, appearing rarely as the Portuguese second-tier team was also relegated. Three years later, also with no impact whatsoever, he represented Ionikos F.C. in the Super League Greece.{{cite news|url=https://www.bondia.ad/esports/dels-red-devils-el-glorioso|title=Dels The Red Devils a 'El Glorioso'|trans-title=From the Red Devils to 'The Glorious One'|newspaper=Bondia|first=Víctor|last=Duaso|language=ca|date=28 June 2019|access-date=4 January 2023}}

Lima retired at SE Eivissa-Ibiza in 2008 at the age of 37, having acted as the club's director of football still as an active player.{{cite web|url=http://www.infobalear.com/actualidad/detallenoticia.cgi?codigo=29204&tipo=portal|title=El Murcia cede al Eivissa al ariete Pico|trans-title=Murcia loan forward Pico to Eivissa|publisher=Info Balear|first1=C.|last1=Vidal|first2=R. J.|last2=Palomo|language=es|date=29 January 2008|access-date=3 June 2016}} He later worked with Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal as well as Inter Milan of Serie A as scout,{{cite news|url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/futbol-internacional/arsenal-ficha-toni-lima-descubridor-11998054|title=El Arsenal ficha a Toni Lima, descubridor de Neymar y Coutinho en Europa|trans-title=Arsenal sign Toni Lima, finder of Neymar and Coutinho in Europe|newspaper=Sport|language=es|date=17 August 2021|access-date=4 January 2023}} and Deportivo Alavés as director of international football.{{cite news|url=https://www.noticiasdealava.eus/alaves/2019/06/28/lima-nuevo-responsable-area-internacional-1256898.html|title=Lima, nuevo responsable del Área Internacional|trans-title=Lima, new man in charge of International Department|newspaper=Noticias de Álava|language=es|date=28 June 2019|access-date=4 January 2023}}

International career

Lima won 64 caps for Andorra over a 12-year period.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/alima-intl.html|title=Antonio Lima Solá – International Appearances|website=RSSSF|first=Roberto|last=Mamrud|access-date=3 June 2016}} On 10 June 2009, in his last international, a 6–0 loss to England for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Wembley Stadium, he wore the captain's armband.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-06-10-3011605702_x.htm|title=Andorra loses 6–0 to England but prevents ridicule|newspaper=USA Today|first=Frank|last=Griffiths|date=10 June 2009|access-date=6 May 2015}}

In September 2005, Lima was subject of some controversy during a World Cup qualification match against the Netherlands. When Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a penalty, the defender celebrated directly in front of the Dutch player. Moments later, the striker scored from open play and ran straight over to Lima with his arms raised, being booked for his action in an eventual 4–0 win.{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/soccer/the-seven-levels-of-soccer-vengeance/|title=The seven levels of soccer vengeance|publisher=Paste|first=Taylor|last=Rockwell|date=5 June 2014|access-date=8 February 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.planetfootball.com/trending/haalands-sht-talking-is-not-a-patch-on-van-nistelrooys-revenge-celebration/|title=Haaland's sh*t-talking is not a patch on Van Nistelrooy's revenge celebration|publisher=Planet Football|first=Nathan|last=Egerton|date=10 March 2021|access-date=26 March 2021}}

=International goal=

:Scores and results list Andorra's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lima goal.

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ List of international goals scored by Antoni Lima
scope="col"\|No. !scope="col"\|Date !scope="col"\|Venue !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Score !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Competition
align="center"\|1	16 October 2002	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	{{fb\|BUL}}	align="center"\|1–2	align="center"\|1–2	Euro 2004 qualifying{{cite news\|url=https://www.abc.com.py/deportes/italia-e-inglaterra-en-apuros-alemania-rozo-el-ridiculo-667766.html\|title=Italia e Inglaterra en apuros; Alemania rozó el ridículo\|trans-title=Italy and England in trouble; Germany nearly ridiculed\|newspaper=ABC Color\|language=es\|date=17 October 2002\|access-date=7 October 2020}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Antoni Lima

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|1

16 October 2002

Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria

align="center"|1–2

Euro 2004 qualifying{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.com.py/deportes/italia-e-inglaterra-en-apuros-alemania-rozo-el-ridiculo-667766.html|title=Italia e Inglaterra en apuros; Alemania rozó el ridículo|trans-title=Italy and England in trouble; Germany nearly ridiculed|newspaper=ABC Color|language=es|date=17 October 2002|access-date=7 October 2020}}

Personal life

Lima's younger brother, Ildefons, is also a footballer and a defender. He too spent most of his career in the lower leagues of Spain, and the pair shared teams at Ionikos.{{cite web|url=http://arogeraldes.blogspot.pt/2007/02/andorra-el-milagro-contra-macedonia.html|title=Andorra – El milagro contra Macedonia|trans-title=Andorra – The miracle against Macedonia|publisher=Pablo Aro Geraldes|language=es|date=3 February 2007|access-date=3 June 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.am14.net/ildefons-lima-de-andorra-wembley/|title=Ildefons Lima, un andorrano en Wembley|trans-title=Ildefons Lima, an Andorran in Wembley|publisher=AM 14|first=Jordi|last=Blanco|language=es|date=13 November 2014|access-date=3 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625181436/http://www.am14.net/ildefons-lima-de-andorra-wembley/|archive-date=25 June 2016}}