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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Mion Raiola, the renowned Italian football agent, has died at the age of 54.
Raiola had been suffering from an illness after being rushed into hospital in Milan back in January.
Recall that the news of his death percolated several news platforms on Thursday afternoon but in quick response, Jose Fortes Rodriguez, Raiola’s right-hand man, revealed he had not passed but was in a “bad position”.
However on Saturday afternoon, a lengthy post from Raiola’s Twitter account announced his death and said he had “fought until the end”.
The statement reads: “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.
“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 represented high-profile players like Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli and Erling Haaland and was one of the most well-known agents in world football
He was born in Nocera Inferiore in Salerno, not far from Naples, but moved with his family to Haarlem in Holland when he was just one.
The Dutch-Italian became known as a “super agent” after orchestrating some of the biggest deals in football.
He is said to to have made £24 million from Pogba’s £89 million return to Manchester United in 2016.
In 2020, Forbes claimed Raiola had a net worth of £61.96 million.
However, after the original news had broken, there were then reports denying that the 54-year-old had passed away, though he is still in a ‘bad condition.’
Jose Fortes Rodriguez, Mino Raiola’s right-hand man, told NO Sport “He’s in a bad position, but he’s not dead.”
In a statement on his own Twitter, Raiola said, “Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to resuscitate.”
After a brief career in football as a player and head of HFC Haarlem’s youth team, he moved into becoming an agent with Sports Promotions.
FURTHER READING
He made his name moving players from Netherlands to Italy, thanks to his links to both countries and became one of the biggest names in football.
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