The mural that the city of Bari dedicated to Protti

It was just after 10pm on Wednesday 10 April 1996. On the Atalanta pitch Igor Protti scored a splendid bicycle kick goal, overturning Bobo Vieri’s penalty with a brace despite the numerical inferiority at the end of the first half and giving a decisive acceleration to the conquest of the title of top scorer. An exhilarating but illusory victory for Fascetti’s Bari, who will be relegated to Serie B at the end of the season. But for a few days the snapshot of that stunt, always in the heads and hearts of the red and white fans, has been imprinted on a mural promoted by the Retake Bari association and signed by the artist Silvio Paradiso. A place that has already become a real pilgrimage destination. On the afternoon of October 8th the inauguration in the Poggiofranco district, with the former striker via telephone video connection. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the choirs and for the wonder you have created” were the emotional words of the Tsar, who has been struggling with a terrible illness for months.

so many surprises

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Another strong sign of closeness from Bari in a particularly difficult moment. Just a few days ago, on the occasion of his fifty-eighth birthday, his historic friend Alfonso Cacciapuoti had organized a surprise visit, bringing to Cecina much of the team that had made the people of Bari dream in the mid-nineties. But the bond between Protti and the Apulian capital has always been very solid. Already at the end of the 95/96 season the fans tried in every way to prevent his transfer to Lazio, covering the totems on the ring road with posters bearing the words “Igor Bari loves you”. The farewell of the beloved bomber materialized anyway but the love for one of the symbols of red and white history has never weakened.