Fake death news of Haaland and Pogba's agent Mino Raiola sparks meme fest

Football super-agent Mino Raiola, who manages stars like Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is 'p****d off' over reports in Italy that suggested he had passed away. 

On Thursday, the football world was left stunned by reports that the 54-year-old Italian had passed away. But it emerged that these reports were premature, with the man himself and his doctor 'outraged' at the news of his demise.

Taking to Twitter, the super-agent wrote, "Current health status for the ones wondering: p****d off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to resuscitate [sic]."

Alberto Zangrillo, head of the anaesthesia and intensive care unit of San Raffaele hospital in Milan, added, "I am outraged by the phone calls from pseudo-journalists who speculate on the life of a man who is fighting."

Meanwhile, Raiola's right-hand man Jose Fortes Rodriguez told NOS in Holland, "He is in a bad position, but he hasn't died."

Real Madrid, several prominent names and fans tweeted their condolences to Raiola's family once the fake news of his death had surfaced.

According to the Daily Mail, the Italian super-agent was hospitalised in Milan in January 2022 and underwent very delicate surgery, but the nature of the illness has not been revealed. Reports said that the condition wasn't life-threatening and that the Raiola would begin a period of rehabilitation at home. 

Known for his influential role in securing significant moves to several football stars, Raiola is currently involved in negotiations over Erling Haaland's potential transfer away from Borussia Dortmund this summer, with Manchester City thought to be the frontrunners.

Also read: 'Beast' Haaland needs to come to Arsenal, says friend Odegaard amid Man City links

Raiola is also liaising with Manchester United's Pogba over his impending move away from Old Trafford this summer. The Italian helped to orchestrate the Frenchman's 89 million-pound move from Juventus in 2016 - a world record fee. It was reported that Raiola earned as much as 20 million pounds from this deal.

Raiola has worked his way up from humble beginnings working in a pizza restaurant to becoming one of the most influential figures in football, brokering mega-deals involving some of the most prominent players. Forbes estimated last year that Raiola's wealth was in the region of 62 million pounds. 

Apart from Zlatan, Pogba and Haaland, Raiola also managed Romelu Lukaku, Mario Balotelli, Marco Verratti, Matthijs de Ligt, Gianluiggi Donnarumma and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. 

Several football enthusiasts took to Twitter to post hilarious memes over Raiola's fake death news following this gaffe. Here's a look at some of the memes and tweets that equate Mino Raiola to WWE's iconic superstar Undertaker's 'Rising from the Dead' and more: