'We are not the problem' - Raiola defends fellow agents and takes aim at 'Trump-esque' FIFA

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The 'super-agent' had strong feelings about proposed legislation that would curtail his commission on future transfer dealings

Agent Mino Raiola rubbished the notion that he and his colleagues are overpaid for their services while suggesting that FIFA was doing more harm to the game.

Raiola is known for representing some of the biggest names in football, including the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and new Dortmund signing Erling Haaland.

And Wednesday found him in London, where the Association of Football Agents (AFA) convened to discuss transfer reforms mooted by the world governing body.

The overhaul would see agents' fees severely restricted in any future transfer negotiations, a proposal that unsurprisingly did not find welcoming ears among Raiola and the AFA.

“That was a very important meeting," Raiola told reporters after the summit.

"I think I saw very important things happening this morning and today. We just agreed to let one person speak for us. That is Mel [Stein, AFA Life President]. From there on in we will see what happens.

“Will FIFA listen? Yes, because injustice always loses. If you look at the history of the Second World War and the First World War and all the other wars that were fought for freedom and liberty and all these kinds of things then justice always wins so we will win.”

Agents are often an easy target for critics looking to attack the rapacious modern game of football, but Raiola advised his detractors to look higher in order to find the game's real vultures.

“Do people think agents over overpaid? That’s what you say they think but that’s not true. That’s what FIFA wants people to believe. I don’t think intelligent supporters think that. I think that intelligent reporters think there’s a media war against agents.

“Why attack agents when all the other areas are growing [in football]. People are not dumb, they understand that FIFA raises their ticket money for their World Cup every year by 25%. Then it comes that local people can’t afford a ticket for the only tournament that they do.

“I don’t understand why FIFA want all the transfer money to go through a FIFA bank. This is only about power. This is only about the body that has to get some victories. The vice president of the organisation gets arrested the day the president gets elected.

“It is what Donald Trump does his whole life. Oh, is there a problem, we will create another problem. So we are not the problem. Weakening us means weakening the players. That’s what it is.

“We live in countries that are regulated very well by laws and the laws are there. There’s even a law saying you can’t be a monopoly or cartel that FIFA doesn’t respect every day.”

2020-01-22 23:00:02

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