Mino Raiola, one of football’s most powerful agents, dies aged 54

[{"selector":"#anim-affe9962-c465-434f-9226-259cd8259e78","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d0f210c-f099-4085-ae44-7f771711800f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.14196%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0904cb58-a380-42b4-974b-e3e9cdede3b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6149976-b510-4a17-bf91-224d12be5ff9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 187.74928%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fd5b2688-661b-42b9-b61a-5e2bf127aaff","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e3fe5c5-1c63-44c0-9f21-1358d9081e1f","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.5)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.95)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Blue Rings Multiple Blue Rings White Frame Corner

Mino Raiola, the agent of players including Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland, has died aged 54 after living with a serious illness since January.

[{"selector":"#anim-3492e8e0-646b-4da4-b708-f1c65b9c4389","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-566cad85-f814-4178-81a1-a12a1773a9a9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.4088%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8533ec7-a1f1-4329-9353-88559ab1a9b8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d905b8bc-ffcc-4f3c-9bc9-158f4c5bcb18","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.24331%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Dr Alberto Zangrillo, from San Raffaele hospital in Milan, told the news agency Ansa on Thursday that Raiola was “fighting to survive”.

[{"selector":"#anim-a9ee6a0b-5048-499a-b4ac-d3b5e4f7df2e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f03fc173-be6a-4f77-882d-17d8ae535948","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -477.26887%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b262397-b261-4dad-b87c-b7f0c20f8a9f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(91.55251%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a280f920-ed84-4c38-85c4-4af9cf90f93d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-26405880-7d90-4cbf-b682-4f93fa435708","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] White Frame Corner

However, on Saturday afternoon, a family statement on the account confirmed Raiola’s death, although no timeline or cause of death was given.

[{"selector":"#anim-459688c9-a63d-47bf-9b35-62f7020288e0","keyframes":[{"transform":"rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","opacity":0},{"transform":"none","opacity":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-8407cfb4-494c-420d-9a3b-d9c078693ac0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48acf8e1-928b-49e3-a6a4-dd78d0807caa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -93.67914%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] White Frame Corner

“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.

[{"selector":"#anim-42cb9060-add0-4305-8b30-97f34f3f380e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96425df7-a817-48c6-a54f-f07898e99d3a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -108.2621%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-371147f9-9439-45b5-ab5b-dc086bfe0f27","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-417ff29a-cf25-4db6-aeee-f723b4476a6c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

“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.

[{"selector":"#anim-69e028d8-007c-4e0c-8973-f35c84abf2da","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e779e889-cfbc-4d44-9492-4b0668fd90be","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77e1facb-e501-499d-a9b6-f6cdd23b24dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba78f2e9-d926-40d3-bca7-869a2ab6aa95","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.46540%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The Italy-born Dutch national was one of football’s most powerful and high-earning agents after almost three decades in the job.

[{"selector":"#anim-ec14bdb3-bf8d-49d0-8e75-abcb87a74961","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51f8a773-bccc-4f47-ab9b-b656c0703bb1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -97.62099%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c0ae2a95-524f-47c4-822a-ea6e78d30102","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1bffd1ed-0d51-467f-84c3-67328f27ab58","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 178.79562%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Pogba and Haaland are expected to make two of this summer’s most significant transfers, with Pogba available on a free.

Raiola, who spoke Italian, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, was born in Italy but moved to the Dutch city of Haarlem with his family.

Raiola later looked after the restaurant’s books, studied law and became a director at the local football club.

[{"selector":"#anim-916ebc39-600e-42bc-ac2c-b808f91af4ad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-242729bf-31d7-4f3a-a04d-50252d872574","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.46540%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-78d77b8a-fde4-46c9-bd9d-60d8bdb68b84","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-214779b8-32ed-45cd-8f5a-083ae910e113","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 131.45387%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] He oversaw Pogba’s then world-record £93.2m transfer to United from Juventus in 2016. His outspoken nature was exemplified in 2020 when he criticised United’s then manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, for his treatment of Pogba.

May His Soul Rest In Peace

[{"selector":"#anim-5d2e054c-9a1e-4f77-a1cc-42c043c501e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d552abef-8b37-4828-8c44-3b05b482ccff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.00001%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de0fb976-4f37-4582-a5a5-8c28311295d1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9ccff05-6e32-4364-b88f-cb3bd2b61f9a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 182.14484%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Raiola was fiercely critical of Fifa proposals to cap the money agents could make from transfers.