Super agent Mino Raiola dies aged 54 after lengthy sickness

Mino Raiola, the influential and infrequently controversial sports activities agent to a few of soccer’s greatest gamers, has died. He was 54.

Raiola died after a protracted sickness, his household confirmed on Saturday. He had been present process remedy at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, the place he was visited by Zlatan Ibrahimović this week. Raiola underwent surgical procedure in January but it surely was mentioned on the time that it was not life-threatening.

“In infinite sorrow we share the passing of the most caring and amazing football agent that ever was,” learn a submit from “The Raiola Family” on his social media accounts.

“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 realized it.”

Raiola was the agent of stars reminiscent of Erling Haaland and Paul Pogba, in addition to Ibrahimović.

He was well-known for getting his gamers big-money strikes but in addition drew the ire of soccer managers, together with Alex Ferguson after he negotiated Pogba’s switch from Manchester United to Juventus in 2012.

He additionally handled Pogba’s return to United in 2016 for a then-world-record charge of 105 million euros (then $116 million) of which Raiola earned 27 million euros ($30 million). He was paid thousands and thousands extra by Pogba and United.

Raiola was within the strategy of negotiating Haaland’s anticipated transfer away from Borussia Dortmund this summer season, with Manchester City one among a number of doable locations for the Norwegian starlet.

Raiola additionally oversaw the departure of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from childhood membership AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain final yr. Mario Balotelli was one other of his purchasers.

“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,” added the announcement of his dying.

“Mino’s mission of making football a better place for players will continue with the same passion.”

Italian and worldwide media broadly reported on Thursday that Raiola had died however that was categorically denied to The Associated Press by his company and later refuted apparently by Raiola himself on social media.

“Current health status for the ones wondering: p(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)d off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to resuscitate,” learn a message on Raiola’s Twitter account.

It was additionally wrongly reported he had died in January when he was taken to the hospital for what had been later confirmed as “ordinary medical checks that require anesthesia.”

Raiola was born within the southern Italian metropolis of Nocera Inferiore however moved to the Netherlands after lower than a yr.

He labored as a waiter in his father’s Italian restaurant whereas at highschool and went on to check legislation for 2 years at college.

Raiola was a youth crew soccer participant and administrator earlier than beginning his profession as a sports activities agent by helping within the switch of Dutch gamers to overseas golf equipment.

He was hardly ever removed from controversy or the limelight — very similar to a number of of the gamers he represented. Raiola in contrast FIFA to a mafia group in 2013 and known as the governing physique’s then-president Sepp Blatter a “demented dictator.”

Along with fellow “super agents” Jorge Mendes and Jonathan Barnett, Raiola threatened FIFA with authorized motion over plans for a cap on switch funds in 2020.