- Raiola cared less about Ferguson or anybody else’s opinion of him, so long as he and his client were happy
- The super-agent passed on on Saturday, 30th 0f April 2022
- He was only too happy to walk out of meetings if the other party arrived late or play hardball over contract terms
- Raiola worked odd jobs in the family restaurant, such as waiting tables and washing dishes
Mino Raiola, who died on Saturday at 54, rose from the family pizza restaurant to negotiating multi-million-pound deals for football’s biggest stars.
Despite never having played professional football himself, the super-agent, who died on Saturday at the age of 54, was undoubtedly one of the most well-known figures in football.
Raiola was Erling Haaland’s agent. Photo: MARCA
He was constantly in the spotlight as the agent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli, Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland, and many others.
In football, he was outspoken, hardworking, controversial, and unavoidable. Raiola, who has been in the game for 28 years, has played a significant role in shaping the football world we know today, for better or worse.
RAIOLA WORKED AT HIS FAMILY’S PIZZA RESTAURANT
Raiola rose to the pinnacle of his profession as a football agent, but he was far from destined for greatness. His backstory, which he was very proud of, is remarkable and served as the foundation of his work ethic and moral code.
Raiola and his extended family moved from Salerno, in the country’s south, to Haarlem, in the Netherlands, in 1968.
The Raiolas may have moved across Europe, but they kept in touch with their homeland by opening a Napoli pizzeria in Haarlem’s main market square. There, the young Mino learned a lot about life.
Raiola worked odd jobs in the family restaurant, such as waiting tables and washing dishes, while his father poured his heart and soul into the business. In 2016, Raiola told The Financial Times.
“My father worked 18, sometimes 20 hours a day here.”
Raiola said he identified Pogba’s talent early while still inthe Man United Academy,. Photo: The Times
When I was 11 or 12, I went to work with my dad to get to know him. He was in the kitchen, so what could I do? I could wash up.”
Raiola’s youth enabled him to learn Dutch faster than the rest of his family. This proved to be a valuable asset.
He was still in his teens, but he was already showing a business sense: he would use his language skills to negotiate with banks on his father’s behalf or even visit Haarlem’s mayor.
Raiola grew in size as she developed a taste for it. He founded Intermezzo, which assisted Dutch companies in doing business in Italy.
He became a millionaire at the age of 19 after purchasing a McDonald’s franchise and selling it to a real estate developer.
HE ABANDONED A LAW DEGREE TO PURSUE HIS PASSION
Raiola began and then abandoned a law degree to pursue his true passion: football.
He eventually became the technical director of local club FC Haarlem, where he oversaw a daring move for none other than Dennis Bergkamp. It didn’t work, but that didn’t stop Raiola from progressing.
The boom in Serie A following Italia 90 came at a good time, allowing his company, Intermezzo, to expand into football.
His big break came in 1992 when Intermezzo assisted in transferring Dutch winger Bryan Roy from Ajax to Italian club Foggia. Raiola moved to Italy with Roy, sensing an opportunity, and began making contacts in the country’s football scene.
Raiola’s work ethic, language skills, and determination helped him gradually move up the corporate ladder.
He could spot a good player, back the suitable horses, and tell which way the wind was blowing.
Raiola abandoned law to pursue Football which wa his passion. Photo MARCA
“It sounds arrogant,” he told The Financial Times. “I saw every change in the football world before it happened.”
Raiola had no hesitation about causing a fuss. He developed a unique negotiating style that made him popular with his clients – he considered 99 per cent of them to be friends – but occasionally extremely unpopular with managers and club executives.
Raiola couldn’t care less about Ferguson’s or anyone else’s opinion of him as long as he and his client were satisfied. He saw himself as an outsider, and he enjoyed upsetting the established order in football boardrooms.
He was more than willing to walk out of meetings if the other party was late or to play hardball over contract terms; numerous stories have been told about his unwavering belief in his ability and negotiating position.
HE CLASHED WITH SIR ALEX FERGUSON AND PEP GUARDIOLA
He crossed swords with Pep Guardiola, but his most famous disagreement came with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Raiola identified Pogba’s talent early and became his agent while still developing in the Manchester United academy. He soon engineered a move for Pogba to Juventus – much to Ferguson’s annoyance.
He Asked years later why he had allowed Pogba to leave the club for Juve in 2012, Ferguson replied: “Pogba? He had a bad agent. A s***bag. I distrusted him from the moment I met him.”
His involvement in the £89m move of Pogba back to United from Juventus in 2016 pushed his fame to new heights.
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