Igor Protti, former Livorno footballer and striker, was awarded the “Golden Livornina” by the city mayor Luca Salvetti
Dozens of Livorno fans welcomed the arrival of Igor Protti with chants, flags, banners, applause and smoke bombs. The former footballer, captain and striker of the Amaranth club has been fighting the disease since July. Today he received the “Golden Livornina” at the Town Hall, in a packed council chamber: the city’s highest honour. It was delivered by the mayor Luca Salvetti. Protti, honorary citizen since 2006, was rewarded for his sporting merits with the Livorno shirt and as a model of ethical and sporting behavior for the younger generations and for the entire community.
During the ceremony, Protti retraced his sporting and human history, which has linked him to the city since he was just 18 years old and wore the Livorno shirt for three years, before being sold to Virescit Bergamo, but with the promise of returning to Tuscany. In 1999, after 11 years, he returned to Livorno, in Serie C1 and after having regained Serie B he managed to bring the amaranth back to Serie A too. Protti remains the only player to have obtained the title of top scorer in Serie A (with the Bari shirt), in B and in C1 (with that of Livorno).