Who is Rafaela Pimenta? The agent representing Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba and more
By Max Parsons
Described as "the most important person in football that nobody knows" by an anonymous Premier League director of football, Rafaela Pimenta is undoubtedly a fascinating character within our beautiful game.
The recipient of a bucketload more responsibility following the death of Mino Raiola in April, Pimenta has moved to the top of the late super agent's footballing empire, One, having served alongside him for 18 years and been instrumental in the growth and success of his very famous football agency.
The only senior figure not blood-related to Raiola at One, Brazilian Pimenta was a rarely trusted associate of the Dutch-Italian and has now inherited a wealth of clients - stars amassing to over £1bn in market value - and power in the footballing industry...
So, who is she?
Who is Rafaela Pimenta?
Pimenta had always been a lover of football (she's Brazilian, after all) but opted to work in government after studying jurisprudence at the University of Sau Paulo, taking up a senior role in the antitrust department in the administration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who governed Brazil from 1995 until 2002.
While working in government, Pimenta met Raiola at a charity football match organised by former Brazilian internationals Rivaldo and Cesar Sampaio.
Fate struck that day, with the formation of a relationship that would prove gargantuan in the football business. An immediate - and rare, for non-family - trust and respect prompted Raiola to invite the lawyer to work with him at his Monaco-based agency which, following his death this year, was entrusted to Pimenta (despite the Italian having two sons) - along with its litany of clients.
That transition proved anything but simple, though.
The Brazilian had to fight off fellow agents she has described as 'low-lifes', warding off their attempts to hijack several of One's major clients and even batting off their offers to run the company for her.
In truth, however, the only adjustment Pimenta has actually had to make has been increasing her public presence; the lack of previous necessity to speak in public has seen her avoid any sort of documentation, although that is now changing.
She recently made headlines for suggesting that Erling Haaland has the potential to become the sport's first £1bn transfer in the future and, while she might not prove to be as controversial as her former business partner, we should see many more interviews from this previously unknown quantity.
Her orchestration of blockbuster summer transfers such as Erling Haaland's to Manchester City and Ryan Gravenberch's to Bayern Munich, however, is nothing novel to her - behind the frontispiece that was Raiola's marmite personality was always the influence, dedication and talent of Pimenta.
She was a major factor in Raiola's signing and keeping of some of football's biggest names...and now she's at the forefront of that empire.
Who does Rafaela Pimenta represent?
Erling Haaland
Probably the major name in that empire is now Manchester City robot - sorry, striker - Haaland.
The Norwegian powerhouse quickly became one of Raiola's most prized assets and developed a good relationship with the late agent, releasing a simple but touching tribute to the Dutch-Italian following his death in April.
His trust in the agency and in Pimenta never faltered after that event, however, and courtesy of the now-chief of One, the striker bagged himself a dream move to the Citizens this summer and could even leave for £1bn, according to Pimenta - the phrase 'pinch of salt' springs to mind but who knows these days, eh?
Paul Pogba
There was never any shortage of controversy surrounding Paul Pogba whenever Raiola opened his mouth - it's safe to say that he filled a lot of newspaper inches thanks to his outspoken opinions on his client's career.
It has always been, however, Pimenta that Pogba has taken solace in. Known to the French star's children as 'Auntie Rafa', as discoverable in The Pogmentary, the pair share a strong bond outside of work as well as in a professional setting.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Talking of controversy, the divine - by his own admission - Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been inherited as a client by Pimenta, having apparently hired Raiola as an agent around 16 years ago after the Dutch-Italian politely informed the striker that he was "full of s**t" - I mean, he's not wrong.
Having played a part in the Swede's transfers to Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy and back to Milan, Pimenta most recently independently wangled the now-41-year-old a one-year contract extension this summer.
Other clients of Rafaela Pimenta
Alongside those three world-famous names and among the litany of sensations to be represented by Pimenta and the One agency, are world-class talents such as PSG duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti, and Matthijs de Ligt, as well as starlets like Xavi Simons, who has been shining since Pimenta oversaw his summer switch to PSV, and Gravenberch, who has acclimatised brilliantly since his transfer to Bayern in June.
Rafaela Pimenta net worth
Pimenta's net worth isn't publically known. However, given she negotiates in transfer dealings for a group of players collectively worth around £1bn in market value, you can assume for pay packet is fairly eye-watering.