“It’s a very tough match, I know full well I could win or lose, but I’ll give it my all, as always.”
As Igor Protti embarks on the greatest battle of his life – indeed, for his life – he will once again summon the strength and tenacity that defined a remarkable playing career.
When Protti revealed his health struggles this summer, the news was met with an outpouring of affection — not only from the faithful of Livorno and Bari, clubs he had served with distinction, but also from tifosi across Italy for whom he was an opponent that was feared and respected in equal measure.
Protti was the very embodiment of the bomber di provincia — a prolific marksman who rose from humble beginnings to become a hero of football’s provincial heartlands. He possessed unheralded talents and made them count in the colours of Italian football’s lesser lights.
Over more than two decades, Protti scored close to 250 goals and achieved a feat no one before him had accomplished: being crowned capocannoniere in each of Italy’s top three divisions.
He never wore the Azzurri shirt, and apart from two short-lived spells with Lazio and Napoli, his story was written far from the bright lights of Italy’s footballing capitals. His legacy extends beyond mere numbers. Protti came to personify integrity, humility, and loyalty – virtues increasingly rare in the modern game. He played with heart and captured hearts in return.
The bricklayer’s son began his journey at just 16 with his hometown club, Rimini. Soon, he moved on to Livorno, turning down a place in Milan’s Primavera to prove himself in the grittier world of Serie C. Swapping the Adriatic for the Tyrrhenian coast, he could not have imagined how profoundly that decision would shape his destiny.
Protti cut an unassuming figure — 5ft 7in tall, compact and wiry — but he possessed explosive pace, intelligence, and an uncanny leap. What he lacked in physique, he made up for in instinct and industry.
He blossomed over three happy years in Tuscany before Livorno’s bankruptcy forced a premature departure. He left with a heavy heart and a promise to one day return.
In Messina, stepping into Toto Schillaci’s shoes, he adapted to Serie B with ease. His tousled mane and tireless movement began to attract wider attention. After three fruitful seasons in Sicily, another financial crisis led him back to the Adriatic, this time with Bari.
There, he formed a devastating partnership with fellow provincial hero Sandro “Il Cobra” Tovalieri, firing Bari into Serie A. In Puglia, Protti became known as Lo Zar – The Tsar – a mark of the reverence he inspired among the Barese faithful.
At 29, he outscored Baggio, Batistuta, and Weah in the 1995–96 season, hitting 24 goals in a struggling side that would nonetheless be relegated.
His repertoire of goals encompassed the full spectrum from the goal scorer’s handbook; for every explosive shot from distance, there was a close-range tap-in. There were headers, acrobatic volleys, deft finishes and penalties that threatened to take the net off. His coronation as Serie A’s top scorer was as improbable as it was glorious – a beacon of defiance amid adversity.
Protti was uneasy at leaving Bari in their hour of need, but with a queue of illustrious suitors forming, this was his last opportunity to test himself at the very highest level. When Protti signed for Lazio, the script seemed perfect; playing alongside Beppe Signori and Pierluigi Casiraghi as part of Zdeněk Zeman’s famed and feared attacking trident.
But what followed was a harsh lesson in the fragility of dreams.
The glare of Rome’s spotlight proved unkind. After failing to find his rhythm in the Eternal City, he moved to Napoli – only to endure another relegation. Within two years, Serie A’s top scorer found himself in Serie B with Reggiana. Far from kick-starting his career, Protti endured a shock relegation in Reggio Emilia, his third in four seasons. The rise of Lo Zar had seemingly met its fall.
At 31, written off by many, Protti returned to where it had all begun. Rejecting more lucrative offers, he took an 80% pay cut to rejoin Livorno in Serie C, fulfilling the promise he’d made more than a decade earlier.
Back in Amaranto, he was reborn. Double figures in his first two seasons were followed by 27 goals in 31 matches to lift Livorno into Serie B. Known as Il Bimbo (“The Kid”) during his first spell, he had returned as Livorno’s patriarch. The Curva Nord adored him; his name was woven into the city’s lore.
The veteran reacquainted himself with Serie B by finishing as top scorer, although he saved his crowning glory for the following season. The catalyst was the homecoming of Cristiano Lucarelli — a son of Livorno’s working-class Shanghai district — and together they wrote history. Between them, they scored 53 goals as Livorno sealed promotion to Serie A.
At 36, having climbed from Serie C to the top flight twice, Protti prepared to retire. Persuaded to play on for one last campaign, he led Livorno once more in Serie A before bowing out in perfect fashion – scoring against Juventus in his final match and receiving a standing ovation from opponents and fans alike. Handing his captain’s armband to Lucarelli, he closed the circle.
As Igor Protti now faces his greatest off-field challenge, his story stands as a reminder of what football at its best can represent: perseverance, dignity, and the quiet courage to fight on when hope flickers.
He was never defined by fame or fortune, but by heart. That same steadfast spirit, which carried him from Rimini’s dusty pitches to the pinnacle of Italian football, now carries him into battle once more.
Forza Igor.
Calcio England 