Agent against salary cap 

Raiola: “Maximum of ten clubs” could afford Haaland – Not a “parasite” for players

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Mino Raiola believes Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland will be one of the top players of the next decade. “It is obvious that everybody is looking at Erling as one of those potential new future stars because it’s so difficult to do what he does at his age at his level,” the super-agent told the BBC. However, “only a maximum of ten clubs” could afford the BVB star, who is only 20 years old, and offer him “the platform you would like after you’ve been in Dortmund… and four of those clubs are in England,” the 53-year-old, whose clients include the Norway striker, added.

Market Value

E. Haaland

Centre-Forward

€200.00m

Given Haaland’s high level even at his age, everyone naturally would have their eyes on the BVB striker, Raiola said. “Stars such as Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo and Messi are coming to an age where everyone asks themselves: ‘How long can we still enjoy them?’ So everyone is looking for the new generation,” the advisor said about Haaland and Co., who are now coming into focus. BVB’s top scorer had moved to Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for €20 million last January and has since increased his market value from €45 million to €110 million, making him the most valuable player in the Bundesliga.

“I don’t think there’s a sports director or trainer in the world who would say ‘not interested’,” Raiola said, referring to Haaland. The Italian-born heavyweight is considered both an influential and controversial player agent. In addition to Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his clients include Paul Pogba and Marco Verratti.

Raiola: “Didn’t want to cause any problem” with Pogba statement

Raiola had sparked a major debate in England in December when he hinted that Pogba’s time at Old Trafford could be over shortly before a crucial Champions League match for Manchester United. “I just expressed an opinion, I didn’t want to cause any problem,” Raiola said now. “I don’t think that it destabilised anybody, because they had a fantastic run and they were even first, for a period, in the league. You think big players like Paul Pogba – or Solskjaer, who won everything in his life – get destabilised by what Mino Raiola says? Come on, please.”

Time and again he causes an uproar with his statements. But Raiola has learned to live with it. “Whenever I tell my opinion, everyone in England goes berserk, and I am the worst agent, or the best agent,” he added.

Raiola against introducing a salary cap – “Players don’t call me a parasite”

Raiola does not think much of a salary cap: “There are no salary caps for CEOs that run big or small companies, there is no salary caps for actors, there’s no salary cap for a Banksy! So why should there be a cap on talent of football players?”

Kean, de Ligt & Co.
Raiola’s clients at a glance
 

Raiola is also annoyed by the often-negative image of his industry, but “my players don’t call me a parasite,” he said. At the same time, he announced that agents are ready to go to court in the face of FIFA’s radical plans to regulate their activities.

Gestifute, Stellar & Co.
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World governing body FIFA had announced in November 2020 that it wanted to tighten up the rules for player advisors again, which were relaxed five years ago, in order to ensure greater transparency. One of the key points of the new regulations for player advisors was to be the reintroduction of a licensing system. The license could only be renewed by attending courses. The goal is to achieve more professionalism again.