After losing 3-0 to Wolves 10 days ago, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani tweeted about their opponents link-up with super agent Jorge Mendes.
Those tweets (below) from Radrizzani were seen by some Leeds United fans as the ultimate sense of pique, toys thrown out of the pram after a loss. However, Radrizzani went further than this social media spat, writing to the Football League, The Football Association and the Premier League stating his worries.
We have our own problems but we should play in a fair competition. Not legal and fair let one team owned by a fund whom has shares in the biggest players agency with evident benefits (top European clubs giving players with options to buy ..why the other 23 teams can’t have same
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) March 7, 2018
…treatment ? We should play all 24 with the same rules and opportunities (it s enough to google it) @EFL
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) March 7, 2018
Congratulations to the best team but hope the league can be fair and equal to all 24 teams
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) March 7, 2018
What Radrizzani was asking for, effectively, was clarification that Wolves were acting within the rules of the governing bodies in a link up with Portuguese agent Mendes that has brought players such as the impressive Diogo Jota from clubs such as Atletico Madrid. Whilst Radrizzani has been questioning the legality of what Wolves are doing, he has admitted one thing.
Radrizzani has admitted that, should Wolves be found to be acting fully within the rules of the three bodies that he wrote to, then Leeds United might possibly go down those lines themselves. Speaking to BBC Sport the Italian said: “I want to understand the rules so I can act like them. If it’s possible I would do the same as it’s been proven to be successful for the team.”
He went on to admit in the BBC Sport article that he knows “many agents” and said that he “would love to have their help. I just want to know if it’s possible to do it within the rules.” However, in an interview with talkSPORT’s Jim White, the audio of which is in this article, Radrizzani name-checked one agent in particular – Mino Raiola, who counts players such as Paul Pogba and Marco Verratti amongst his client base.
So, if Leeds United DID decide to ‘do a Wolves’, on the following page are five players they might want to tap up Mino Raiola for.