Mino Raiola represented a number of top players throughout his impressive career, but one in particular was particularly special: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The pair first met in 2003, when a young Ibra was already turning heads with his strength and incredible technical ability. The 22-year-old Swede was ready to make the next jump in his career but he found himself without a suitable agent.
Ibrahimovic met with Raiola in a restaurant in a fairly informal fashion. When looking back at their meeting, the super agent said: “Zlatan decided to sign with me because I was the first, and maybe the only one, to tell him he was an asshole. Everyone else was just telling him nice things, but I told him the truth, to make him better. I looked at him and said: think about working harder.”
Ibrahimovic looks back fondly at the meeting as well, remembering that Raiola was dressed in colourful shorts, a Nike t-shirt and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. Recalling his first impressions, the Milan veteran noted: “One expects an agent to dress well, he wasn’t like that. We go to a restaurant to eat sushi and he orders for seven. ‘But we’re only three, who’s going to eat all this stuff?’, I asked him. ‘Don’t worry,’ was his reply.”
It did not take the pair long to spark up a relationship, however. Ibrahimovic explained the incident, saying: “He showed me a sheet with the goal statistics of Shevchenko, Inzaghi, Vieri and many other centre-forwards. Then he looked at my file and told me that since I had only scored four goals in 21 games, it would be impossible to sell me.
“He criticised me heavily. I remember looking at him smiling and telling him that if I had Shevchenko’s numbers, even my mother could sell me and that was why I needed him. He burst out laughing.”
Raiola remained Ibrahimovic’s agent for the entirety of the Swedish forward’s career, taking him on a tour of some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. Raiola became something of a second father figure to the Ibrahimovic, who was by his side for the final days.
Quando Ibra scelse Raiola: tra insulti, sushi per sette e una camicia hawaiana https://t.co/0qsnymKkyP
— Luciano Blancato (@thexeon81) May 1, 2022
Someone in Hollywood gonna make a movie out of this
A Raiola film in the style of hidden gems movie would be good. The back room dealings with stars and board members, gritty drama. Would be quite fitting