Football agent Mino Raiola dies aged 54

High-profile football agent Mino Raiola has died at the age of 54 following a battle with lung disease.

Raiola represented the likes of Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He underwent surgery in January after being hospitalised in Italy. The nature of the operation wasn’t revealed.

Raiola was born in Nocera Inferiore, Italy in 1967 and emigrated with his family to Haarlem in the Netherlands the following year.

A promising footballer growing up, Raiola took over the reins as the head of HFC Haarlem’s youth team aged just 20 in 1987 before beginning his career as a football agent.

Raiola initially worked for Sports Promotions, a sports agent company, and helped broker a number of high-profile transfers involving players switching Dutch for Italian clubs, including the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Michel Kreek and Bryan Roy.

He would go on to represent more than 20 of the game’s top stars across European football and was last year said to be worth around £62million.

Manchester United midfielder Pogba, Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland and Sweden legend Ibrahimovic all worked with Raiola.

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