Controversial reputation masked Mino Raiola’s affable, loyal personality

One of football’s most colorful and controversial figures died on Saturday aged 54. The passing of Italian super-agent Mino Raiola had wrongly been reported a few days earlier, much to the annoyance of the man himself, severely ill but defiant to the last.

On April 30, however, the announcement of his death was made by his family on the agent’s official Twitter account.

“It is with infinite sadness that we announce the passing of the kindest and coolest player agent who ever lived,” the statement said.

As tributes poured in from former clients and many fans, a more sympathetic image of Raiola, perhaps not one seen by most, emerged.

Throughout my career I had met him several times, often before TV interviews with players he represented. At these meetings, I always found him to be affable, friendly, collaborative, and relaxed, especially in the trademark way he dressed down.

On one occasion, he said: “I dress so badly that when it comes to business everyone underestimates me and I make more money.”

Raiola was a character. Unlike fellow high-profile agent Jorge Mendes, who always presents himself impeccably in his professional meetings, Raiola did not care much about his image.

Chubby and short, he mostly dressed casually — T-shirt, untucked shirt, and sneakers, and sometimes even in tracksuits.

“You’re fat. If they ever make a movie about my life, you’ll be played by (American actor) Danny DeVito,” Zlatan Ibrahimovic told him in 2017, according to the Swedish striker’s autobiography.

Raiola was an easy going and friendly person. He helped me interview one of his most famous representatives, Ibrahimovic, in February last year and we had agreed that I would soon interview another of his stars, Borussia Dortmund’s