Igor Protti, 58, died on Thursday.
The Italian became the first player ever to win the top-scoring league in Serie A, Serie B and Serie C.
“We have lost such a fine person, writes former teammate Kennet Andersson to Sportbladet.
The message comes during Friday morning through a post on his Instagramsigned by the immediate family.
In the same post, the family shares a final greeting from the former Italian shooting king.
“This amazing journey, like every game, has come down to the final whistle. It’s hard to describe in words, the only thing I can do is thank my amazing and wonderful family that I loved,” he writes.
“One of the most important people who welcomed me”
Last summer, Protti announced that he had suffered from cancer and has now died after a period of illness.
“This fantastic journey, just like every match, has come to the final whistle,” he writes in his final greeting.
The 58-year-old played during his career in clubs such as Rimini, Bari, Lazio and Napoli. However, he is best known for his play in Livorno.
Protti also became the first player ever to win the top-scoring league in all three of Italy’s top leagues – Serie A, Serie B and Serie C.
In Bari, Protti played with, among others, the Swedish WC 94 hero Kennet Andersson.
“He was one of the most important people who welcomed me and helped me get into Italian life, both on and off the pitch. Our thoughts go out to his nearest and dearest, know that family was everything to him!”, writes Andersson in a text message to Sportbladet.
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