Mino Raiola is dead: Haaland advisor died – family confirmation on Twitter
Created: 05/01/2022 06:31
By: Yasina Hipp
Star player agent Mino Raiola has died, his family announced on Twitter.
© imago/LiveMedia/Reporter Torino
The family of Italian players' agent Mino Raiola confirmed the 54-year-old's death via Twitter on Saturday.
Munich – Mino Raiola died at the age of 54.
This is confirmed by the family of the player's agent who was born in Nocera Inferiore, Italy.
The statement from the family states that he "fought with the same strength that he used to have for his players." The family members also thank them for their "huge" sympathy.
Among other things, Raiola had advised top football stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Erling Haaland.
The office of Raiola's advisor in Monaco also confirmed the sad news to the German Press Agency.
On Thursday, various media had already reported on Raiola's death after a long illness.
The family and Raiola himself denied these reports on Thursday and said he was still fighting.
Haaland advisor Raiola: from washing the plate to the dreaded player advisor
Born Carmine Raiola in the small Italian town of Nocera Inferiore in 1967, his family emigrated to the Netherlands with little Mino just a year later.
The Raiolas ran a restaurant there, where their son also helped out, cleaning, washing dishes and bringing food to the guests.
Working in his parents' restaurant later earned him the nickname "il pizzaiolo", the pizza maker.
According to his own statements, he never put pizzas in the oven himself.
Raiola briefly studied law, but then got into sports marketing.
In the early 1990s he became sporting director of HFC Haarlem.
His first transfer as an agent back then: the move of Dutch international Bryan Roy from Ajax Amsterdam to Foggia.
Mino Raiola: World football stars trusted in his skills
A little later, Raiola then represented the interests of the big players in the football business.
BVB star Erling Haaland, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Gianluigi Donnarumma entrusted their careers worth millions to the Italian.
They built on his skills in negotiations, the football clubs feared them.
But Raiola always fought mercilessly and fiercely for the interests of his players.
In an interview with
Sport1
he said: "I am ready to go to war for my players.
I'm willing to do anything for her.
Just like for my sons.”
In Germany, in addition to the BVB bosses, FC Bayern also had dealings with Mino Raiola.
Because with striker star Haaland, a change to the record champions does not seem to be out of the question, especially after he is said to have met with sports director Salihamidzic.
Erling Haaland himself reminds of his advisor with a post on his Instagram profile.
The 21-year-old posts a photo of the two in which Raiola put his arm around the grinning Haaland.
He only writes: "The best", provided with a red heart.
