Italian football agent Mino Raiola has tragically died aged 54 following a short illness, it has been reported in Italy. The Italian was one of the most notable agents in world football, representing the likes of Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among a number of other high-profile clients.
The news was announced by reporters in Italy on Thursday. According to the Daily Mirror, he was battling a lung disease.
Whilst he was born in Italy, Raiola’s parents moved to the Netherlands just one-year after his birth, growing up in Haarlem. He played football for the local side, HFC Haarlem, before becoming the head of their youth team.
He also dabbled in being an administrator, before settling on becoming an agent for Sports Promotion, playing a part in the transfers of a number of Dutch superstars. This included the move of Dennis Bergkamp to Inter Milan in 1993.
Raiola then decided to break away and form his own agency business, with the transfer of Pavel Nedved to Lazio labelled as his first big move following his performances in Euro 1996, where Nedved helped guide the Czech Republic to the final. That is where he began to build his legacy, with his ability to speak seven different languages helping him gain several high-profile clients.
Source: Football London