Football superagent Mino Raiola died in April following an illness at the age of 54. The news took everyone by surprise, especially the players the Dutch Italian agent represented. Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ryan Gravenberch, Matthijs de Ligt, Mario Balotelli, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Verratti and Gianluigi Donnarumma are many of the high-profile names in the Raiola stable.Haaland branded his former agent ‘the best’, while Pogba also paid his respects after changing his profile picture on Instagram to one of him with the representative, and saying: ‘Always in my heart. Thank you Mimi.’ His empire was left to his long-time business partner, the 49-year-old Brazilian lawyer Rafaela Pimenta, who gave a wide-ranging two-hour interview for The Telegraph, during which she discussed the discrimination she has faced as a woman and how she is ruthless when it comes to landing players the best deals. Also, she spoke about rival agents who attempted to poach Mino Raiola’s players on the day he died.##NAJAVA_MECA_6736457##While saying that she had received lots of support from figures such as Jonathan Barnett, Gareth Bale’s agent, she added that ‘lowlifes’ tried to capitalise on his sudden death.’There are also a bunch of lowlifes who called the players,’ Pimenta told the Telegraph.’One called (Walter) Benítez the day that Mino died. And Wanda, his wife, picked up and she gave him such a tongue-lashing and said, “You should be ashamed of yourself.” ‘Before Mino died they called Alphonse (Areola). Thousands of people called Xavi (Simons), thousands of people called Erling (Haaland), thousands of people called Paul (Pogba). ‘They called me also and said: “If you need help I can run the business for you.”‘However, there was never any chance Pimenta was going to allow their stable of stars to be raided in a time of grieving.Brazilian lawyer Rafaela Pimenta said she had received lots of support from figures such as Jonathan Barnett, Gareth Bale’s agent, she added that ‘lowlifes’ tried to capitalise on Raiola sudden death.LIKE POST & FOLLOW KORRECTSPORTS TV🔴#Trending pic.twitter.com/TH9kBaCbWj— KORRECTSPORTS TV⚽🔴 (@Korrectsporttv) October 17, 2022 Pimenta, who was previously happy to operate in the background with Raiola, played a central role in negotiating Haaland’s move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City. Alerts during those negotiations that Raiola had died – they emerged in Italy but turned out to be fake – interrupted negotiations before he passed away three days later. ‘I was maybe going through something that should put my life on hold but the players, of course they loved Mino, but they need to be taken care of,’ she added. ‘I had [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, [Walter] Benítez and [Alphonse] Areola who needed to renew or change club. The only way I can appreciate their care, their love, their loyalty is if I give them everything. I could not go home and cry.’
