Super agent Mino Raiola dies aged 54 after long illness

By DANIELLA MATAR
AP Sports Writer

MILAN (AP) — Mino Raiola, the influential and often controversial sports agent to some of soccer’s biggest players, has died. He was 54. His family confirmed his death on Saturday. Raiola had been undergoing treatment at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, where he was visited by Zlatan Ibrahimović this week. He underwent surgery in January but it was said at the time that it was not life-threatening. A post on his social media accounts says: “Mino fought until the end with the same strength he put on negotiation tables to defend our players.” Raiola was the agent of soccer stars such as Erling Haaland and Paul Pogba, as well as Ibrahimović.