According to Italian media, the 54-year-old football agent died as a result of lung disease. However, people close to Raiola believe that these are “false rumors.” A close colleague of the Italian, Jose Fortes Rodriguez, told reporters, “He’s in a grave situation, but he hasn’t died.”
Raiola is said to be at Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital. “I’m offended by the phone calls from pseudo-journalists speculating on the life of a man struggling for his life,” Alberto Zangrillo, a hospital doctor, is quoted as saying.
Raiola has been involved in a number of high-profile moves over his career, including Pogba’s record-breaking move from Juventus to Manchester United in the summer of 2016.
The agent’s career began in the 1980s when he arranged Dennis Bergkamp’s transfer from Ajax to Inter Milan in the summer of 1993. He was a part of Robinho’s historic transfer from Real Madrid to Manchester City, the first of the Sheikh Mansour era.
Raiola’s involvement in multiple large-money transactions enabled him to build a sizable personal fortune. According to Forbes, he is worth around £68 million.
After being hospitalized in Italy, the agent underwent surgery in January. The nature of the procedure was not disclosed and remains unknown.
Raiola’s health was reported to be non-life-threatening at the time, and he finished his recovery at home. “Mino Raiola was treated to routine medical exams that need anesthetic,” Raiola’s official Twitter account stated in January. “These are routine inspections; there has been no emergency intervention.”
