Agent Raiola slams Cruyff

High profile player agent Mino Raiola has launched an astonishing attack on Dutch legend Johan Cruyff.

Raiola, who is the agent of stars such as Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, claims too many people give creedence to Cruyff’s statements, and questioned the former Barcelona coach’s wisdom in a furious broadside.

“When Cruyff’s talking, everybody else stops thinking,” Raiola told Het Parool.

“If he says the world’s flat, everybody agrees with him. But nobody wonders what the senile b*****d actually means.”

Raiola gave his verdict on how he feels teams such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain will avoid the penalties of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play initiative.

“There is always a way for clubs with debt,” Raiola said.

“If UEFA no longer allow those huge holes in the budget (to be) covered by the equity of the owner, does the owner still focus on four companies of which he is a major shareholder and pump money into the club anyway?

“And (from) those companies, he leaves Manchester City a few hundred million for a sponsor. That takes away debt and fair play.”