Igor Protti Has Died; A Devastated Beppe Signori Remembers His Friend

Igor Protti has died at the age of 58 following an illness, and the entire soccer world remembers him with affection and respect for what he accomplished during his 20-year career, both on and off the field. Among the many paying tribute to him is his former teammate Beppe Signori, who played alongside him during the 1996–1997 season at Lazio.

Signori and Protti formed a close bond and saw each other often even outside of soccer: “Today, soccer has lost a great man, and I have lost a great friend. Together we ran, sweated, scored, and dreamed. You, with that warrior’s smile and that huge heart that lit up the locker room.”

“We spoke on the phone a few days ago,” the former Lazio striker wrote on Instagram, “and I don’t want to believe that there won’t be any more of those endless chats, that laughter, and those goals to celebrate together. Rest in peace, my friend. I’ll always carry you in my heart, just like back when we were invincible. A big hug wherever you are.”

His friend Cristiano Lucarelli also remembered him: “I was at his home; his condition was very precarious, but he hadn’t lost his will to fight at all. He was certainly an example—the way he faced his illness was a lesson for all of us.” The city of Livorno, which had adopted him and to which he had given nine seasons and over 140 goals, declared a day of city-wide mourning for Saturday, June 20, with the casket on view starting at 6 p.m. at the Armando Picchi Stadium to allow citizens to pay their respects.