MY ACCOUNT
Matthijs de Ligt and Paul Pogba paid tribute to their renowned former agent Mino Raiola, after he died over the weekend.
The 54-year-old’s death was confirmed by his family on Saturday. He had been in critical condition in a Milan hospital.
Raiola was arguably the sport’s most influential player representative.
From Pavel Nedved, to Mario Balotelli, to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Erling Haaland, Raiola represented some of the biggest names in world football, and in 2016 secured the largest transfer fee in history, at the time, for Pogba in his move back to Manchester United from Juventus.
Raiola also oversaw De Ligt’s transfer from Ajax to Juve in 2019 and, in an Instagram post on Sunday, the Netherlands defender about a man he called “someone special”.
“I honestly am not ready to write this message and I think I never will be,” De Ligt wrote.
“It’s too early for us players, for your family but especially for you. You had so many dreams to fulfil, so many things left to do… you were always right in the end. You knew how the world worked. Nothing is impossible and you showed that to the whole world.
“You fought for your players together with your team and that’s why you were so loved by all of them. Because as you always said: they are my sons, my family.
“Mino, I will miss you for everything… to be my agent, but especially to be my best friend.”
Pogba, who is set to be on the move at the end of the season following the expiration of his United contract, oposted a series of photos of himself and Raiola together, with the caption: “Always in my heart – thank you Mimi”.
