Mino Raiola

The 54-year-old Raiola represented star players including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.

As a one-year-old child, he was taken with his family to Haarlem in the Netherlands. He steadily built his reputation in Italian and world football during the years, and alongside Jorge Mendes, he was arguably the highest-profile football agent on the planet. As usual, Mino made us

Raiola died after a long illness, his family confirmed on Saturday. He had been undergoing treatment at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, where he was visited by ...

Raiola compared FIFA to a mafia organization in 2013 and called the governing body’s then-president Sepp Blatter a “demented dictator.” “Mino touched so many lives through his work and wrote a new chapter in the history of modern football. Raiola died after a long illness, his family confirmed on Saturday. He had been undergoing treatment at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, where he was visited by Zlatan Ibrahimović this week. As usual, Mino made us proud and never realized it.” Raiola was a youth team soccer player and administrator before starting his career as a sports agent by assisting in the transfer of Dutch players to foreign clubs. “In infinite sorrow we share the passing of the most caring and amazing football agent that ever was,” read a post from “The Raiola Family” on his social media accounts.

The son of Italian immigrants to the Netherlands rose to be one of the game's most feared and influential dealmakers.

Mino Raiola, one of football's most powerful agents whose high-profile clients included Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland, has died at the age of 54, ...

He began his working life at his family’s pizzeria in the medieval city before beginning his long march to becoming one of the most powerful agents in football. As usual, Mino made us proud and never realised it.” Raiola was born in Nocera Inferiore in southern Italy but in 1968, still only a one-year-old, he was taken with his family to Haarlem in the Netherlands.

Legendary Italian football agent Mino Raiola has passed away at the age of 54 following a battle with illness.

- Paul Pogba - Erling Haaland As usual, Mino made us proud and never realised it.

Mino Raiola, one of the most high-profile agents in world football, has died following illness.

Raiola remained in football, despite not making it as a professional player, to become an agent, initially working for a company called Sports Promotions. "We thank everybody for the huge amount of support received during these difficult times and ask for respect to the privacy of family and friends in this moment of grief." As usual, Mino made us proud and never realized it.

Mino Raiola, the influential and often controversial sports agent to some of soccer's biggest players, has ...

Raiola compared FIFA to a mafia organisation in 2013 and called the governing body's then-president Sepp Blatter a "demented dictator." "Mino touched so many lives through his work and wrote a new chapter in the history of modern football. He was paid millions more by Pogba and United. Raiola died after a long illness, his family confirmed on Saturday. He had been undergoing treatment at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, where he was visited by Zlatan Ibrahimovic this week. Raiola was a youth team soccer player and administrator before starting his career as a sports agent by assisting in the transfer of Dutch players to foreign clubs. As usual, Mino made us proud and never realised it."

after Raiola stood up for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the aftermath of a Derby d'Italia between Inter Milan and Juventus when the two players — now great friends — ...

So our earnings are a reflection of the importance of our industry and the importance of our clients, like if you were an agent of the best actor in the world or the agent of I don’t know who. “I’ve been in the business 27 years,” he told The Athletic, “and in all those years I’ve represented the best of the best. He was a Holland international who came from Ajax. But he got used to it soon enough.” Thanks in part to Raiola, who moved out to Puglia, the heel of the boot of Italy, with Roy and would drive him to and from training. “It got me going,” Ibrahimovic remembered, “and it got me more of a winner’s mindset.” The result was the move he wanted. I told him, ‘That player doesn’t exist’.” But this 23-year-old Czech winger Raiola was on the brink of moving to PSV Eindhoven after helping his country be surprise finalists at Euro 96 came closest to fitting the bill. “We’d booked a table there, and I really didn’t know what sort of a person to expect,” he wrote in his eponymous biography I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, “probably some sort of pinstriped fella with an even bigger gold watch (than me). But who the hell turned up? An Italian agent who used to bring players over from the Eredivisie to Serie A liked the food on the menu, as did a few footballers and the owner of the local football club, who would make Raiola the head of their academy and then sporting director. “(Mino) challenged the entire Netherland Football Association, and he didn’t start off dealing with small fry.” “In the Netherlands, there used to be a really crazy system where players had to be sold according to a price that was based on their age and a bunch of statistical crap,” Ibrahimovic recalled. He worked long hours, doing the dirty work, and as he got older he came to be entrusted with the books and negotiations with the restaurant’s suppliers. “My father said to me when I was a small boy that 50 per cent of the people in your life will love you and 50 per cent will hate you,” Raiola told The Athletic just over a year ago.

He was a born trader and hardball negotiator who prided himself on his small stable of players.