I continue his work. They called me a prostitute»- breaking latest news

One year ago, on April 30, 2022, Mino Raiola died. «I return to the office in Monte Carlo the day after the funeral and I find five prosecutors, I mean five, sitting in front of my desk. We are here to do you a favor, they tell me. They want not only the prosecutors of the players, but also the entire company, One. They look at the world map hanging on the wall behind my chair, with pictures of our boys, like a treasure map. A minute and all five are out the door. It’s actually right there that I realized I had to move forward. I’m telling the truth: there was a moment, during Raiola’s long illness, when I even thought about quitting. But it wasn’t right. He wasn’t for me, for our clients, for the people who worked with us, for Mino ».
Rafaela Pimentaa Brazilian lawyer, has taken over Raiola’s empire: from Haaland to Pogba, it is estimated that the “Lady of the transfer market” manages a stable of half a billion.

Do you feel like Mino’s heir?
«He went to school, he was a revolutionary, he changed the way of being an agent, putting the player at the centre. The last thing he said to me was: be happy. He taught me to give my best at work, but never take myself too seriously. I’m trying to continue his work, in his spirit. We have worked together for 27 years. We were different, a pair of madmen, but aligned».

How did you meet?
In Brazil. I was working as an antitrust lawyer for President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Then one day my partner asks me for a legal hand for a football club owned by Rivaldo and César Sampaio. I go to their office and there’s a guy sitting there smoking like crazy and asking a thousand questions. We argue, because he wants to know more than me. A couple of months go by and he calls me back: do you want to work with me? I didn’t want to, because I already had a good position. Then I gave in. And there it all began. I left Brazil and arrived in Europe».

What is your relationship with Enzo Raiola, Mino’s cousin? Did your paths separate permanently?
«Vincenzo worked with us as an employee. We have a habit of giving everyone opportunities, to grow. So also with Vincenzo. He was able to learn, grow, gain experience. Now he has decided to go his own way and I find it absolutely right, normal ».

First contract?
“At six years old, my brother. I made him sign a sheet where he agreed to be my slave for a day. Had he had a good solicitor, he wouldn’t have been fooled ».

Being a woman is an advantage or a disadvantage?
«Feminine sensitivity is an added value, for sure. I am protective like a mother, sometimes too protective. To my boys, that’s what I call them, I also give advice on girlfriends: always remember to behave yourself and treat them as you would like your sisters to be treated. I do not accept rudeness, towards women and beyond”.

Is the world of football chauvinist?
“They insulted me many times. Many think that women are inferior: some use it as a strategy, others really think it. Once in Italy a manager said to me: “Are you really a lawyer? I thought you were a Brazilian prostitute.” I replied: “Even if I were, you would still have to pay the premium to my client”. This was a few years ago. Luckily things are getting better today.”

How much Haaland coast?
«I’m not telling you how much it costs, but what it’s worth: he will be the first player to be worth a billion. Think of the related industries that he generates at the age of just 22: trophies, sponsors, marketing, social media, content. How much can a club bring? Not only in the so-called real world, but also in the digital world. He will be the first champion of the metaverse. The future is there. He has it all: strength, humility. But his real strength is normality. His secret is his family: his father, a former footballer, helped him a lot. He will break all records ».

Is it true that he has a release clause from Manchester City in 2024?
«Good ladies know how to keep quiet…».

Pogba calls her Aunt Rafaela in his docufilm.
«Paul is like a nephew, indeed a son. We argue, then we make up. Golden Boy. He is very sorry for this season at Juve: he had arrived as happy as a child, returning was a dream for him. Unfortunately things didn’t go the way he wanted, but now he’s optimistic because his physical shape is finally improving. He has to move on, he has a lot to give to Juventus »

They say prosecutors are the evil of football.
«Like saying that because of a bad doctor all medicine is bad. It is not so. There are good prosecutors and bad prosecutors.”

You are too greedy, they say.
«The money collected by the agents is in relation to the turnover of football, which is multiplied compared to even just ten years ago. Tom Cruise’s cachet will also be mind-boggling. But when people go to see Top Gun 2, they don’t discuss how much the actor earns. Football, on the other hand, is always in the crosshairs».

Will Serie A ever return to the level it once was?
«When I started, I spoke to the Brazilian players: everyone wanted Italy. If you proposed England they would say: what have I done wrong to you? But now Serie A is making a comeback: the two teams in the semifinals of the Champions League, Napoli’s feat that wins by playing well. The worst is behind us. Of course, there’s still work to be done.”

On your Instagram profile you are wearing a red and black shirt: are you a fan of Milan?
«Gallini gave it to me, a gentleman, who already twenty years ago treated me with great respect, when they called me a prostitute. But I’m a fan of all the teams that have my players. Now I feel them like children ».

And daughters. There are several female players in his stable.
“It’s a hugely growing movement. Today ten-year-olds watch women’s football matches: this is the most concrete sign of a change already underway. The stadiums are full, there is enthusiasm, but there is still a lot to do. My dream is to achieve true parity: salary, management, recognition. It will be women who will succeed. Alone, as always.”

You are a successful woman in the world of football: do you feel like a symbol?
“I don’t know, but if so, I’d be delighted.”