Rafaela Pimenta: “Haaland’s clause is a mystery”

One year after the death of Mino Raiolaand after being his right hand for the last 30 years working in the shadows, Rafaela Pimenta has taken a step forward to continue leading the race of stars as Haaland, please, DeLigt, Verratti… Rafaela He opened the doors of his office in Monaco, where his company One Sarl is headquartered, to talk to us about everything: Haalandhis job, Barça, report and the return of the ‘semis’ played by City and Madrid in Manchester today.

You have become the image of an agency. Who is Rafaela Pimienta?

Rafaela Pimienta is a Brazilian lawyer who has been in Europe for 30 years, trying to work in soccer, whose dream, like Mino’s, is to add value to the career of a soccer player.

How did the working relationship with Mino Raiola begin?

I met him in Brazil. I am a professor of international law in Brazil, and I also spoke about soccer. I met him there, at a meeting where he wanted to know how soccer works in Brazil. When we first met, we had a fight, and I think that’s really what made us work together.

What does Mino need to attract so many cracks?

Mino did things from the heart, he wanted to change the career, the world, for the better. His sincerity and dedication to me made a difference for him.

What is the company structure now after Mino’s loss?

Without Mino, there is a big gap, especially from a personal perspective. Professionally, he took up a lot of space because Mino was bigger than the world. Today we added new people because it would be arrogant and irresponsible to think that what we put together could be done by myself. That is not possible. Now we have new employees, like former soccer players because I like long-term relationships. Like Maxwell, for example, he’s been working with us his whole life.

What did Maxwell’s work consist of?

It is very personal and very technical. Talk to players about matches.

In other words, here they offer a comprehensive service to the footballer: contract negotiations, communication and image, and technical improvements…

Going here is like going to Carrefour or a clothing store, where you can find a shirt, a T-shirt, some boots… and here the footballer chooses everything he wants to bring. Obviously, you’re not going to offer a 15-year-old player the same as a 30-year-old. I met Pogba when he was 17, now he is 30 and what he needed then, he doesn’t need now. He also offered me different things. I am an immigrant and I lived in immigration. We offer everything a player will need in that country change.

Is it very difficult for you to work in this world as a woman?

I have never worked in another world. When I finished university I worked in the government and in the university, but what I know well is the world of football and it is very complicated. Even today, when we introduce ourselves to a player, someone who comes says: “if she is a woman, what does she know about soccer?”

Haaland, Ibra, Pogba, De Ligt, Verratti… how do you manage so many stars?

It is not a question of stars or not, what is important is to understand that they are footballers at different times in their career and life. There is no formula. The important thing is to know the footballer, his life, his personality, his environment, his taste and the message we want to convey to the footballer fits the player in front of us. Maxwell, for example, didn’t call because he didn’t want to be a bother. Now that he’s working with us, he doesn’t stop calling (laughs). They are different stages of life. Now we have a 10-year-old player, and obviously, with a 10-year-old boy you talk very differently, and what you give him, well, a ball, right ? The beauty of this adventure is the diversity, not only of age, but also of people. I understood some cultures better because of my background, and Mino got to know others because of his background. I, an African, know whether he is upset or not just by his demeanor, while Mino knows what a Dutchman is thinking, for example. Through complementarity and internationality, here we speak 10 languages. This is something very rich for me.

The greatest example of competition in this world of representation is the hiring of a 10-year-old. That 10 years ago was unthinkable.

To me, this is absurd. I like to watch games, watching games is a moment of relaxation, when I watch a game the phone doesn’t work for me. I went to see a Sub’11 final between Corinthians and Palmeiras. The kids don’t change the shirt because they have to take it back to the club but they don’t have to keep the pants. And the boy, when the game was over, he gave me his pants because he wanted to give me something. I have a collection of t-shirts and a small pair of pants. Now it’s over, I don’t agree with taking a small child, but why would I do it? If I don’t, someone else will. They don’t think money to a 10 year old, until they are 22 is just an investment. We want to participate in that evolution. When he was little, I said nothing but serious things to his parents. It is very easy to tell a fantasy story to an 11 year old, but when the child is a minor, the parents are the only ones I want in the whatsapp group. One of the great principles of this society is that we do not mentally manipulate children, which is why I always like to have father and mother in the group.

One of the cracks who is not 11 years old but who, still young, is already attracting the attention of the whole world is Haaland. Does your clause remain at 180 million after Guardiola’s City renewal?

I don’t know anything about what he is saying. A lot has been said, even Guardiola, even the grandmother, the mother…

Good time to clear everything.

I have nothing to clarify. The mystery of this story is so cute because you don’t know where it is, like the treasure house. It’s cuter and as a lawyer I can’t disclose contracts.

Where can Haaland go?

wherever he wants He is a player never seen before. For me, his quality in everything and his capacity for evolution are very impressive. He has the ability to adapt quickly to a new club, to a society, to the coach… as if he had always been there. That gives you a lot of peace of mind and allows you to move forward. He is very calm in his professional and personal life, he has quality, now he is in the right place, with the right team and the right coach. In Brazil we say the sky is the limit. I think it will break all records.

Do you see him winning the Champions League with City?

There is a very difficult game left at the Etihad, but I trust Erling and City to get to the final and then win it. Now I’m a City fan.

Messi and Cristiano have ruled football and fed off each other for the past 15 years, do you think the same will happen to Haaland and Mbappé?

I think it is something very good for football that after everything that Messi and Cristiano have given for this sport in their healthy rivalry, now and in the coming years they will find Haaland and Mbappé. It’s good for football, for them, for the fans… for everyone. Conflict is always understood in a healthy way and from the respect they express to each other. Champions always think of the collective rather than the individual.

Do you think you can beat Messi?

I know that for you, who are from Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​this is not an easy question (laughs). I’m not putting pressure on Erling, pressure is not good. Messi made his way, which is incredible, and Erling will make his. And at the end of their careers, we’ll look at what they did equally, differently and where each reached. Now football is different. In Pelé’s time, no one would have thought that a player could play until he was 40 years old, now he can. The number of goals from before is not the same now. It’s very difficult to compare players from different eras. Haaland will do everything a boy of his generation can do, and he will do it at the top.

Will we see him play in Spain?

Yes, you saw it last week (laughs). Then, on his vacation, he will go there (Marbella) at one point or another because everyone knows that he likes it.

And in LaLiga?

This I do not know.

I don’t know if the other day Haaland’s father closed the door of the Bernabéu because of his actions in the box and this is his chance to look further at Barcelona.

I’m laughing because I didn’t expect this question. I don’t think anything happened to Earling’s dad, beyond the normal, football jokes, stadium stuff. We are all fans when a game starts. And in a match, if you don’t let yourself get carried away with emotion, you’re not a real fan, and you can’t imagine if your child is playing on top of it. Haaland’s dad is a very happy person, very informal and that’s what we bring.

How is your relationship with Florentino Pérez?

Strange, I only spoke to Florentino once in my life. I can’t explain the reason, but above all I have a good relationship with great respect and admiration for José Ángel Sánchez and Juni Calafat. They are serious, humble people and I think they are doing a great job for Madrid.