Igor Protti Has Died: A Heart-Wrenching Message from His Daughter Noemi

The soccer world is mourning the death of Igor Protti, who passed away at age 58 due to an illness. Livorno, Bari, Lazio, and Napoli—all the clubs where he played—as well as other teams have paid tribute to the former Rimini striker, a prolific scorer in Serie A, B, and C. Just a few hours after his death, his daughter Noemi—whom Protti himself had walked down the aisle with only a few months ago—shared a message on social media.

“People see the final whistle, but we, Ba, lived through all 90 minutes with you against this bastard, underhanded opponent. People, just like in soccer games, see the result at the 90th minute, not the other 89. You didn’t lose, Ba, because those who were truly close to you know how much you managed to accomplish this year—how many milestones, starting with getting to see the movie, your movie,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Those who’ve always been there know. It was 90 minutes during which we tried to move forward, to enjoy every day, but with immense pain inside. Your 90th minute was to walk me down the aisle—you succeeded, and I’ll never thank you enough for that. See you soon, Ba. Your Chicchis.”

Livorno has declared a day of city-wide mourning: “Mayor Luca Salvetti and the City Administration declare a day of city-wide mourning for tomorrow, Saturday, June 20, on the occasion of the commemoration of Igor Protti at the Armando Picchi Municipal Stadium. Starting at 6 p.m., the player’s casket will lie in state at the stadium to allow citizens, institutions, the sports community, and all those who shared in his personal and professional journey to pay a fitting and heartfelt tribute to Igor.”