1990s football was a game of champions who looked like heroes, larger than life, always ready to stand up for the underdogs. The last romantic hero of that era was the passionate Igor Protti, the only player to finish as top scorer four times across Serie A (with a relegated team), Serie B and Serie C. He was loved everywhere he played—from Bari to Rome (Lazio), from Messina to Naples, and finally Livorno, a club he chose in 1999 by turning down a huge contract and the promise of easy success.