Renowned football agent Mino Raiola has passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 54. Rumours of Raiola’s death were circulating online two days earlier, but it was later made clear that while the agent was indeed in critical condition, doctors were able to resuscitate him.
However, the Italo-Dutchman could not fight on for much longer, passing away just a few hours ago, his family confirmed via a statement on Twitter. He had been facing severe health problems for quite some time, reportedly battling a lung disease.
Raiola had a high-profile list of clients, including Erling Haaland, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti. The agent was known for his lavish lifestyle and was rather unpopular amongst many clubs for being a stubborn negotiator. He was also notoriously infamous for reportedly charging exorbitantly high agent fees for his services and was well-known for getting massive deals for each of his clients.
His family, barely a day after putting out a statement refuting reports of Raiola’s death, released an official statement announcing the passing of the famous agent.
“In infinite sorrow, we share the passing of the most caring and amazing football agent that ever was. 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.”
the statement read
Despite his sometimes unpopular persona, Raiola was an important figure in his players’ lives, with his clients often praising his methods and insisting that he always put the needs of his players above his own.
“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. Mino’s mission of making football a better place for players will continue with the same passion,”
the Raiola family said in the statement.
