Mino Raiola, the agent of several high-profile football players including Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has died at age 54 after illness.
The Italian had been hospitalised earlier in the year and on Thursday, his Twitter account posted to dismiss misinformation spreading that he had passed away.
However, the same social media platform has been used now for his family to release a statement confirming he had lost his battle to regain health.
“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. Mino’s mission of making football a better place for players will continue with the same passion.”
Raiola was one of the most outspoken ‘superagents’ representing a number of the game’s elite performers, frequently airing his views against football governing bodies’ laws.
He was also not averse to detailing whether his most in-demand players would or would not move in any given transfer window – such as in December, when he suggested there were only four clubs who would be able to land Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland, likely one of the game’s most sought after signings this coming summer.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti, Ryan Gravenberch and Matthijs de Ligt are other players who have been on Raiola’s client list.
