The FIGC and president Gabriele Gravina mourn the passing of Igor Protti, former footballer and sporting director, who died last night at the age of 58. One of the most prolific and respected forwards of the 1990s, he was nicknamed “Lo Zar” for the leadership and charisma he showed on the pitch. Alongside Dario Hubner, he remains the only player to have been top scorer in Serie A, Serie B and Serie C1.

An honorary citizen of both Livorno and Bari, the two clubs with which he won the top scorer title, he made a total of 699 appearances, scoring 257 goals. Over a long career that began with Rimini, his hometown club, he also played for Virescit Bergamo, Messina, Lazio, Napoli and Reggiana, consistently standing out for his natural scoring ability.