Igor Protti
{{short description|Italian former professional footballer (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Igor Protti
| image = Igor Protti in 2020 at Stadio San Nicola in Bari.jpg
| caption = Protti before a Bari match in 2020
| height = 1.71 m
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|9|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Rimini, Italy
| currentclub = Livorno (general manager)
| clubnumber =
| position = Striker
| years1 = 1983–1985
| clubs1 = Rimini
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1985–1988
| clubs2 = Livorno
| caps2 = 75
| goals2 = 12
| years3 = 1988–1989
| clubs3 = Virescit Bergamo
| caps3 = 31
| goals3 = 10
| years4 = 1989–1992
| clubs4 = Messina
| caps4 = 105
| goals4 = 31
| years5 = 1992–1996
| clubs5 = Bari
| caps5 = 112
| goals5 = 46
| years6 = 1996–1998
| clubs6 = Lazio
| caps6 = 29
| goals6 = 7
| years7 = 1997–1998
| clubs7 = → Napoli (loan)
| caps7 = 27
| goals7 = 4
| years9 = 1998–1999
| clubs9 = Reggiana
| caps9 = 24
| goals9 = 8
| years10 = 1999–2005
| clubs10 = Livorno
| caps10 = 192
| goals10 = 108
| totalcaps = 602
| totalgoals = 226
}}
Igor Protti (born 24 September 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer who currently works as a general manager for Livorno.
Throughout his playing career, he made a name for himself as a prolific and opportunistic striker, who mainly operated in the penalty area. Protti started his career with his hometown club Rimini in 1983; although he played for several Italian club sides throughout his career, including Lazio and Napoli, he is mostly remembered for his time with Livorno, where he established himself as a legendary figure in the club's history during his second spell with the side, and eventually remained with the team until his retirement. Along with Dario Hübner, Protti is the only player to have won the top scoring titles in Serie A, Serie B, and Serie C1;{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/025a-0eaae56d3f70-b2c62af1a168-1000--protti-ends-on-a-high/|title=Protti ends on a high|website=UEFA|last1=Menicucci|first1=Paolo|date=19 June 2003|access-date=29 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/articoli/articolo46377.shtml|title=Dario Hubner supera ogni record|website=sportmediaset.mediaset.it|publisher=Mediaset|author1=Enrico Turcato|language=it|date=8 November 2010|access-date=20 April 2015}} he is also the only Serie A top-scorer to have suffered relegation with his club (Bari, at the time).{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/01-06-2009/protti-capocannoniere-retrocesso-50479235026.shtml|title=Protti, capocannoniere retrocesso|website=gazzetta.it|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|date=1 June 2009|access-date=20 April 2015}}
Playing career
Protti spent the majority of his early career playing for teams in lower divisions; he made his career debut in Serie C1 at the age of 16, with his home-town club Rimini, on 27 May 1984. After two seasons with the club, he later moved on to Livorno in 1985, for three seasons. After a season period with Virescit Bergamo, he was acquired by Messina in 1989, and he became an important figure with the club, making his Serie B debut with Messina,{{cite web|url=https://www.ilgiornaledigitale.it/igor-protti-non-rimpianti-vi-svelo-i-miei-gol-belli-intervista-8852.html|title=Igor Protti: "Non ho rimpianti, vi svelo i miei gol più belli"|website=ilgiornaledigitale.it|language=it|author1=Gianluca Sasso|date=1 November 2014|access-date=20 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111511/https://www.ilgiornaledigitale.it/igor-protti-non-rimpianti-vi-svelo-i-miei-gol-belli-intervista-8852.html|archive-date=27 April 2015}} and scoring 31 goals over three seasons.{{cite web|url=http://dalepepe.it/eroi-di-provincia-igor-protti-zar-di-bari-e-re-di-livorno/|title=Eroi di Provincia: Igor Protti, Zar di Bari e Re di Livorno.|website=dalepepe.it|language=it|date=24 February 2015|access-date=20 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150420134021/http://dalepepe.it/eroi-di-provincia-igor-protti-zar-di-bari-e-re-di-livorno/|archive-date=20 April 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttocalciatori.net/protti%20igor|title=Igor Protti|website=tuttocalciatori.net|language=it|access-date=20 April 2015}}
In 1992, he moved to Bari, and after two seasons in Serie B, he helped his team to achieve Serie A promotion. During the 1994–95 season, he scored his first goal in Serie A against Napoli, as well as his first ever hat-trick, against Lazio. He came to more widespread notice during the 1995–96 Serie A season, in which he shared the top-scoring title with Giuseppe Signori, scoring 24 goals (including a brace against Inter),{{cite web|url=http://www.solobarinews.it/news.php?id=159|title=Una doppietta di Protti stende l'Inter|website=solobarinews.it|language=it|author1=Giuseppe Balenzano|date=14 January 2010|access-date=20 April 2015}} despite his team, Bari, being relegated. This achievement led to a move to Lazio in 1996, but Protti's stay with the Rome club was not successful, and after two seasons with the club, including a loan to Napoli during the 1997–98 season, he was eventually released from his contract in 1998.
After a spell in Serie B at Reggiana (1998–99), helping the club to Serie A promotion, Protti returned to Livorno in Serie C1 in 1999, where he rapidly became one of the most popular players in that club's history,{{cite web|url=http://www.calciomercato.com/news/che-fine-ha-fatto-protti-lo-zar-di-bari-e-re-di-livorno-che-si-d-874760|title=AdTech Ad Che fine ha fatto? Protti, lo Zar di Bari e Re di Livorno che si dedica al turismo|website=calciomercato.com|language=it|author1=Massimiliano Cappello|date=26 January 2015|access-date=20 April 2015}} scoring 11 goals during his first season with the club. He later captained Livorno, leading the club to Serie B promotion during the 2001–02 Serie C1 season, winning the title, and finishing the campaign as the top-scorer, and the following season he was the top-scorer in Serie B. He subsequently led Livorno to Serie A promotion during the 2003–04 season, before retiring in 2005 after the team had finished a surprising 9th in their first top division campaign in many years, leaving the captain's armband to Cristiano Lucarelli.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanazione.it/livorno/sport/calcio/2009/09/24/236010-lucarelli_carcere_torneo.shtml|title=Lucarelli in carcere per un torneo insieme a Igor Protti|website=lanazione.it|language=it|date=24 September 2009|access-date=20 April 2015}} Protti's number 10 was then retired by the club. He has also been given the freedom of the city of Livorno in 2007.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=international_feed%2F07%2F03%2F31%2FSOCCER_Ita-Livorno_Preview.html&TEAMHD=italy |title=STRUGGLERS MEET AT LIVORNO {{!}} Sporting Life – Football {{!}} Football Transfers, Italy Serie A News, Fixtures, Results, Match Reports, Standings |access-date=17 April 2007 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930050032/http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=international_feed%2F07%2F03%2F31%2FSOCCER_Ita-Livorno_Preview.html&TEAMHD=italy |url-status=dead }} During the awarding ceremony, he asked the #10 jersey not to be retired any longer in order to "give anybody back the dream to dress it one day".{{in lang|it}} [http://qn1.quotidiano.net/chan/tuttocalcio:5468795:/2007/03/27:]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The number was to be reassigned starting from the 2007–08 season, with Francesco Tavano wearing the number 10 shirt.{{cite web|url=http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/04/15/news/sar_ritirata_la_maglia_di_morosini_e_si_pensa_di_intitolargli_un_settore_del_picchi-33353284/|title=Sarà ritirata la maglia di Morosini E si pensa di intitolargli un settore del Picchi|website=repubblica.it|publisher=La Repubblica|language=it|date=15 April 2012|access-date=20 April 2015}}
Post-playing career
In June 2015, Protti was hired as the new director of football of Tuttocuoio, with former Livorno teammate Cristiano Lucarelli as head coach.{{cite web |url=https://sport.tiscali.it/calcio/articoli/protti-lucarelli-super-tandem-tuttocuoio/ |publisher=Tiscali Sport |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=18 June 2015 |title=Protti-Lucarelli, super tandem per il Tuttocuoio}} They were both relieved from their roles in April 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.calcionews24.com/ufficiale-tuttocuoio-via-lucarelli-e-protti-483071/ |publisher=CalcioNews24 |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=26 April 2016 |title=Ufficiale, Tuttocuoio: via Lucarelli e Protti}}
In June 2016, Protti returned to Livorno as a "club manager".{{cite web |url=https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/calcio-mercato/2016/06/24-12826497/lega_pro_livorno_protti_e_il_nuovo_club_manager |publisher=Corriere dello Sport - Stadio |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=24 June 2016 |title=Lega Pro Livorno, Protti è il nuovo club manager}} He left Livorno by the end of the 2018–19 season.{{cite web |url=https://pianetaserieb.it/primo-piano/protti-livorno/ |publisher=Pianeta Serie B |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=8 September 2019 |title=Livorno, Protti: "C’è dispiacere ma i miei sentimenti non cambieranno mai. Amo questi colori"}} He returned to work with Livorno as a "club manager" in August 2021, following the club's exclusion from Serie D and successive admission to Eccellenza under a new property.{{cite web |url=https://www.livornotoday.it/sport/livorno-calcio/toccafondi-livorno-marchio-unione-sportiva-protti.html |publisher=LivornoToday |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=18 August 2021 |title=Us Livorno nel segno della storia, trovato l'accordo per il marchio e con Igor Protti}} In July 2022, Protti was promoted as general manager.{{cite web |url=https://www.livornotoday.it/sport/calcio/livorno-igor-protti-direttore-generale.html |publisher=LivornoToday |language=it |accessdate=31 August 2022 |date=12 July 2022 |title=Us Livorno, Igor Protti è il nuovo direttore generale}}
Honours
- Serie C1: 2001–02
Individual
- Serie A top scorer: 1995–96 (24 goals, along with Giuseppe Signori){{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italtops.html |title=Italy - Serie A Top Scorers |author1=Roberto Di Maggio |author2=Igor Kramarsic |author3=Alberto Novello |date=11 June 2015 |access-date=2 December 2015 |url-status=live |website=RSSSF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031163443/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/italtops.html |archive-date=31 October 2015 }}
- Serie B top scorer: 2002–03 (23 goals){{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ital2tops.html|title=Italy - Serie B Top Scorers|website=RSSSF|access-date=2 April 2015}}
- Serie C1 top scorer: 2000–01 (20 goals), 2001–02 (27 goals)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Serie A top scorers}}
{{Serie B top scorers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protti, Igor}}
Category:Footballers from Rimini
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:SSD Virtus CiseranoBergamo 1909 players
Category:AC Reggiana 1919 players
Category:Rimini FC 1912 players