Tributes after agent Raiola dies

FOOTBALL agent Mino Raiola has died, his family have announced.

Italian media reports on Thursday afternoon claimed the 54-year-old, who represented players like Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, had died, but this was later denied on Raiola’s official

Twitter account.

However, yesterday afternoon a family statement published on Raiola’s Twitter feed announced his death, although no timeline or cause was given.

‘In infinite sorrow, we share the passing of the most caring and amazing football agent ever,’ the Raiola family statement read.

‘Mino fought until the end with the same strength he put on negotiation tables to defend our players. As usual, Mino made us proud and never realised it. Mino touched so many lives through his work and wrote a new chapter in the history of modern football. His presence will forever be missed.’

A tweet from the same account in January said Raiola (right) had undergone medical checks requiring anaesthesia, but that he had not had emergency surgery.

Raiola was reportedly suffering from a lung condition not linked to Covid-19.

Born in Italy, Raiola grew up in Holland and first stepped into the world of football agency by working on a deal to take Dutch forward Bryan Roy to Serie A club Foggia and then acted as an interpreter in Dennis Bergkamp’s move from Ajax to Inter Milan. Czech star Pavel Nedved became Raiola’s first big-name client, and he steadily built his reputation in world football over the years since, and alongside Jorge Mendes was arguably the highest-profile football agent on the planet. Ibrahimovic’s club AC Milan said on Twitter: ‘Our condolences to the Raiola family and all the friends of Mino for their tragic loss.’

Raiola’s often outspoken approach did not always endear him to club managers, with former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer unhappy at what he saw as the Italian stirring up trouble over Pogba’s future.