Football: Announced dead by the Italian press, Mino Raiola is still alive

Updated28 avril 2022, 15:50

Italian media reported on Thursday that Pogba’s agent, Haaland or Ibrahimovic, died at the age of 54. Information denied by his right arm.

AFP

False information. Mino Raiola, one of the most influential agents in the world of football, would have died on Thursday, several Italian media announced, picked up by the European press. The 54-year-old Italian, who takes care of many stars – Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – had emergency surgery earlier this year because of a lung disease. Placed in intensive care, his condition had deteriorated in recent weeks. But he is still alive. “Mino is not dead, this is fake news,” his representatives confirmed to AFP.

“He is not dead”

The information regarding his death was initially denied by his right arm José Fortes Rodriguez: “He is in a bad position but he is not dead.”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano, considered one of the most reliable sources on football transfers, also denied this information, using the words of a Milanese doctor who works in the hospital where the agent is: “I I am outraged by phone calls from pseudo-journalists speculating regarding the life of a man struggling to survive.” According to the Italian agency Ansa, the state of health of Mino Raiola is “very critical”. But he is still alive.

In the followingmath, a message – the first since January 12 – was posted on Mino Raiola’s Twitter account: “Current state of health for those who are wondering: pissed off. This is the second time in 4 months that they (editor’s note: Italian journalists) are killing me. I am apparently able to resuscitate myself.” However, in view of the information concerning his state of health, it was not he who wrote these words.

Journalist Tancredi Palmeri, who launched the news, later admitted his mistake: “I deleted the tweet regarding Raiola. It was not speculation or a race “to be first”. I would never do such a thing on such a subject. The news was announced by “Tg La7”, the most watched television news (…). But I did wrong with my Tweet. I’m so sorry and I apologize.”

(pac)