By Sulaimon Jamiu
Mino Raiola’s agency has poured cold water over reports that the football super-agent has died aged 54. And his right-hand man, Jose Fortes Rodriguez, has confirmed that whilst he is in a bad condition in hospital, he is still alive.
On Thursday, Italian reports claimed Raiola, who also represents Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has passed following an illness.
In January, his official Twitter account confirmed that the 54-year-old had undergone surgery after being hospitalised, although the nature of the operation wasn’t revealed.
A tweet read: “Mino Raiola is undergoing ordinary medical checks that require anestesia. All was planned and no emergency surgery happened.”
Mino Raiola is undergoing ordinary medical checks that require anestesia. All was planned and no emergency surgery happened.
— Mino Raiola (@MinoRaiola) January 12, 2022
But the news of his untimely death has shocked the football world as the season approaches the transfer window, where he has thrived as one of the sport’s leading agents for years.
Haaland, Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were Raiola’s most prominent clients, and he has been central in many of the trio’s blockbuster transfers.
