The best gift was the embrace of his lifelong friends. Igor Protti celebrated his 58th birthday with an unexpected and truly special visit. He welcomed many former teammates with whom he shared his experience at Bari to his home in Marina di Cecina, in the province of Livorno. From Lorenzo Amoruso to Emiliano Bigica, Michele Andrisani, Carmine Gautieri, Massimiliano Tangorra, Francesco Pedone, and many others. The former Biancorossi striker shared photos of this beautiful moment on his Instagram profile: “I received a fantastic surprise for my birthday. Many friends came to visit me, traveling hundreds of kilometers. This was our team, this was our football. And this is us after 30 years.”

Igor Protti did not expect a visit from his friends. He was moved when he found them all waiting for him. Then they organized a lunch, just like in the old days. The former striker wore the red and white jersey from 1992 to 1996, even winning a historic promotion to Serie A with Giuseppe Materazzi on the bench. For several months now, the Tsar—as they call him in Bari—has been fighting a tough battle against cancer: “I have been found to have an unwelcome guest. It’s a very tough game, I know very well that you can win or lose, but I’ll give it my all as always.“ Protti has had a difficult few months following the operation. A few weeks ago, he suffered another blow: ”After the stoma operation and eight chemotherapy sessions,“ he wrote on Instagram, ”the guest decided to visit my vertebrae. We’re starting with radiotherapy.”

The embrace of family and friends—  During this difficult period, the fans never failed to show their affection for Igor. While he was recovering in hospital, the Curva del Livorno displayed a banner in front of his room. Then there was the moving embrace he received at the Picchi stadium for the first league match against Ternana. And then there was the tribute from the Bari team and supporters. In an interview with Sports Predictions, he said: “Illness is an unfair opponent. This match started with at least a 3-0 disadvantage, so it’s complicated. My family gives me strength.“ On his birthday, Igor remained as reserved as ever: ”I don’t think I deserve to recover more than others, I’m just one of many. Mine is just a hope.” A hope shared by everyone: family, friends, former teammates, and fans. Bomber Protti still has more goals to score.