Super-agent Mino Raiola, widely-known as the notorious agent of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Matthijs de Ligt among others, has been handed a three-month transfer ban by the FIGC, the Italian Football Federation.
Earlier this morning, AS reported the developments, and also revealed the federation had indicated no reason for the decision.
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Vincenzo Raiola, a cousin of the agent, was also banned for two months.
A brief statement from the FIGC said:
The Sports Procurators Commission, any other exception, deduction and defence rejected, condemns Mr Carmine [Mino] Raiola and Mr Vincenzo Raiola, on his own behalf and as legal representatives of the companies they represent to sanction of the suspension from the exercise of the activity of sports attorney to the extent, respectively: with regard to Mr. Carmine Raiola, of 3 months, with regard to Mr. Vincenzo Raiola, of 2 months.
Raiola took to Twitter to have his say on the decision, though his brief statement was equally as opaque.
This "ITALIAN BAN" is not a surprise, unfortunately. My personal concern is that it has been a sentence dominated by a political willing, without taking into the right consideration the reason of law. It is a sentence based on false grounds and lies. Law and justice however must prevail in any civil and correct system and I hope that my position will be remitted within the right lines in the coming steps of this story.
I guess the Italian Football Association has not forgiven me when I have diffused my critics for their role in the disastrous state of Italian football, as well as their role around the latest episode of the racism problem and my opinions could have had an influence in the evaluation of the matter.
I will seek justice against this injustice and for freedom of speech in every legal court possible to me as my main task is the interest of Italian football. I will proudly conduct this fight in order to obtain what it is in conformity with law. This discussion is contained to the Italian territory and has no repercussion on the players I represent.
These developments, even though many of the details remain unclear, could have a major influence on a number of summer transfer deals.
La Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that the decision comes as a result of the 'Scamacca case' - a case which saw the transfer of Gianluca Scamaca to PSV from Roma in 2015.
Pogba and de Ligt are just two high-profile Raiola clients expected to be leaving their current clubs this summer, the former being heavily linked with Italian champions Juventus.
It remains to be seen what impact this decision will now have on such transfer deals.
