Superagent players take over as “unknown woman” – Rafaela Pimenta became one of the most important players in football overnight

Titled football superagent Mino Raiola died on 30 April 2022 in Milan. Raiola, who died at the age of 54, represented numerous football superstars.

Immediately after the death of Raiola, who had a great ego, the question arose as to who would take over his valuable and successful agent business.

The players represented by Raiola, under the One-agent company, included the Swedish legend Zlatan IbrahimovicNorwegian cannon Erling Braut Haaland and a French savvy Paul Pogba. In addition to them, Raiola represented, for example Gianluigi Donnarummaa, Marco Verrattia, Mario Balotelli and Mathis De Ligt. The list of top players continues after these names.

Now, all of these players are represented by a new name from the One Agent Company. He is a Brazilian, former professor of law at the University of São Paulo, Rafaela Pimenta. 48 years old speaking eight languages ​​(switching to another service) the lawyer and agent worked with Raiola for 18 years.

Pimenta has remained strictly hidden from the public in her career, but she is one of the most influential players in the football world. One Interviewing The Athletic (moving to another service) of the football influencers, the anonymous British Premier League recruitment department director describes Pimenta as the “most important person in the world of football”.

The “unknown” Brazilian woman has gained the trust of her players over the years.

In the Amazon Premier documentary series “Pogmentary” about the French midfielder Pogba, the player talks about Pimenta to her children as “Aunt Rafa” and generally as “her second mother.” In the series, Pimenta spends a lot of time with Pogba’s wife and the whole family.

Little information has been obtained over the years about Pimenta, who lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and runs One. In addition to teaching at the university, he is said to have worked for the former president of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoson government cartel office.

Pimenta and Raiola became friends in the early 2000s in Brazil. Pimenta had graduated as a lawyer in 1995 and worked in football before meeting the duo. In 1999, he helped the Brazilian national team players Rivaldoa and Cesar Sampaioa to set up the Guarantingueta Futebol club.

Shortly after meeting the duo, Pimenta became Raiola’s corporate partner and co-owner in three different companies. The most important of these was Raiola’s agent company, which is now run by a lawyer.

Over the years, Pimenta has worked with future player contracts and has been finalizing almost all of Raiola’s biggest contracts. In addition to this, according to many reports, he has also been in close contact with client players and has been in close contact with their families.

Going public with Raiola’s death has given a small picture of Pimenta’s way of doing things as rudely as her late partner. With the Pogba documentary, the French newspaper Le Parisien received Pimenta interview (you move to another service) regarding the future of Pogba. The Frenchman is rumored to be returning to Italian Juventus after just ending his contract with Manchester United.

– There is really a lot of talk about the transfer to Juventus. Isn’t it risky to go back to old loved ones? Pimenta started according to the magazine.

– However, many things in that company have changed, several years have passed and it would therefore be a different story, he said, further feeding the rumors.

Raiola staged a once-shattered transfer saga in which Pogba, who grew up at the United Academy, moved to Turin for Juventus for free. A few years from this, and after Raiola’s negotiations, the Manchesterians regained the Pogba they lost in 2016. Repurchasing its own breed cost United 110 million euros.

That move also made Raiola richer. Rafael Buschmannin and Michael Wulzingerin According to the Football Leaks book, Raiola had negotiated a separate contract with Juventus in 2012. That article guaranteed that Juventus would pay him half of the sale, which would exceed EUR 34 million.

After Raiola’s death, another question arose as to whether the players would still be represented by the new director of the old player agency.

So far, only one departure has taken place. Representing Borussia Mönchengladbach Marcus Thuramtop defender Lillian Thuramin son, changed himself to another agent company after Raiola died.

According to an anonymous football agent interviewed in The Athletic case, there is a certain kind of Interval in honor of Raiola’s death ahead, when no attempt is made to lure his company’s players elsewhere. This, according to the interviewee, is respected by “even the worst agents.”

However, the interim will not last forever, he says, and at some point other agents will start looking for new customers from Pimenta’s current players.

In addition to the fact that several players still have a contract with the One agent company left, several players are willing to stay precisely because of Pimenta. For example, the Brazilian most recently negotiated a new € 60 million Manchester City deal with Haland and a transfer to the finish line.

Players are expected to give Pimental a transfer window or two to show their nails without Raiola. The duo are very different after Raiola relied on outspoken and offensive behavior in the negotiations.

Still, Raiola is said to have cared about his players deeply and the players about Raiola. Such a fact can also be Pimentan’s trump card with players.