A couple of months ago I read an article about how Donnarumma had been dreaming about playing for AC Milan since he was a kid. How the club brought him up and turned him into what he is today.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article about Donnarummas agent M Raiola, and how AC Milan despised him.

Today I read about Donnarumma deciding not to sign a new deal and extend his contract.

I am in no way a AC Milan fan but I can't help but being disgusted by the way these agents are destroying the football of today. It is all turned into a subject of money, and the loyalty to the club is totally destroyed. We no longere see the likes of Totti, Raul, Puyol, Gerrard who cherish the team and let's the heart and passion do the talk.

I also suffer with croatian fans that had to deal with the likes of Z Mamic... and let's not forget J Mendes!

This does also hit on us fans, because the actions of these agents triggers up the prices of players to insane sums. Money the clubs need to get from somewhere... Yes you got it... from mainly us fans!

We need to get rid of this poison called "agent"... that has absolutely no place in football. If a player wants an agent HE should pay his fees and salary... not the clubs.

FT is not a big community but please spread the word: Enough is enough! There is no place for agents in football!

Agents are a part of the game but if a player is stupid enough to listen to his agent and not what he wants that's his own problem and life decision making he is also responsible for.

Maybe the player just decided he doesn't care about AC Milan and wants to be a Real Madrid player or Manchester City player, feelings can change.

I honestly feel sorry for milan. After all they did to him. In the en greed (Raiola) got into him.

They shouldn't be a part of the game. Incredible how you can defend them. Donnarumma is a 18 year old BOY, he is not stupid he is naive like an 18 year usually is when the big world is at the doorstep. Agents make use and abuse this. They have too much power, way too much power.

I only think that an agent shouldn't always be blamed while the player is always seen as victim, we all know that an 18 year old is capable of loving his teammates and club.

For example that same agent is also working for Pogba if I remember and Sir Alex Ferguson didn't want to give the chance for Pogba when he was 18, turns out Manchester United bought back Pogba for a record price when they could just grant his wish and put him in the first team.

As much as agents are disliked, they in many cases try to fight for the right of the player and the clubs can also abuse and take advantage of their own players or just bench them after buying them so that no other club can use them, every coin has two sides.

@Golazo I understand what you trying to say but Mino Raiola is a special case, he is well know as a greedy person who is only interested in immediate profit. Also, it kind of sad for Milan, they have been working super hard to strenghten their team and now this happen. But yeah, not every agent only think about the moeny, it really depend on the person.

@Pelle Agreed, poor Donnaruma, all the support and affection he would have had if he had signed and comited to Milan. Would have loved to see him there for many other year to come. Especially when you consider Milan at last have the ressource to compete with bigger team. Wonder if this is because of Raiola rivality with Jorge Mendes though, I believe the latter has been involved with the change going on at Milan. :(

They shouldn't be a part of the game. Incredible how you can defend them. Donnarumma is a 18 year old BOY, he is not stupid he is naive like an 18 year usually is when the big world is at the doorstep. Agents make use and abuse this. They have too much power, way too much power.

This is a terrible point, it is very easy to defend an agent. An agent ensures that the player gets what the player is worth and prevents clubs from taking advantage of individuals who have no idea the scope and potential of the market. A 50 million transfer fee is nice, but the wage that comes with it is the important part for the player. The player just doesn't have the perspective, or for that matter, the time. Agents negotiate likeness rights, tv deals, advertising, etc. The notion that the player his or herself could do this on his or her own is incredibly incorrect. If you want to go back to the days where players had to do manual labor in the summer to avoid getting evicted - be my guest, but understand that agents are what got players out of that.

The agents make a ton of money because they ensure that THE PLAYER makes a ton of money. If the agent isn't there, the player makes less. No two ways about it.

Think of it like a union. The player is legally represented by an entity on their behalf that ensures they get good wage, benefits, accommodations, outsourced deals, legal expertise, etc. The cost of an agent repays itself a million fold. Definition of a mutalistic symbiotic relationship.

I understand what you trying to say but Mino Raiola is a special case, he is well know as a greedy person who is only interested in immediate profit.

He can be the worst guy ever but if the player he represents is fine with that it's how it is.

Lets not act as if clubs don't care about profit, most of the time the player is basically seen as dead for a club as soon as they don''t want him, everyone treats their best asset with full respect but once you're considered deadweight it's done, 0 sympathy 0 feelings, "hey kid it's just business what can I tell ya"...

And the player is 18 years old, AC Milan can be just a starting point in his career, show me where it's written that he has to be Maldini or Buffon, he can only be himself.

And talking about agents, it's not an easy job at all, some get payed very well but if you're just starting you need to go through a lot of heavy and smart working to get payed.

@Golazo Yeah, but still, Donnaruma is only 18 year old, of course there is a risk that even if he is not sure about his agent action, he might go ahead with it because he trust his agent. Still cannot argue Mino Raiola isn't impressive, this guys might be super greed and boderline a member of the mafia as I think tiki once said, but he is sure moving ever foward in the world of agent. His goal must be to become the top agent in europe even stronger than Jorge Mendes in term of influence and of number of star player.

The agents are not making tons of money because the player is. The money they get are added to the total cost of the business. The clubs are not buying the agent nor paying for his services, therefore why they are the ones to "pay" for an agent of a player is to me wrong. It is the player who should pay for the services of the agent. Today the cost of the agents is insane and triggers up the prices at a pace never seen before. As if every player has to be bought with his agent.

The player should pay the agent with money that are not part of the transfer fee.

Absolutely agree with @Sun. Do you know who would represent the players if it wasn't for agents? That's right, clueless people who are even more toxic than some shady agents - the players parents. That's not to say that there aren't a few agents that abuse their power by influencing their clients to switch the club so that they can fill their own pockets. And to AC Milans disadvantage, Mino Raiola is one of them.

I doubt it's from a kid's head, we all know Raiola..
Agent tells kid: hey, wanna earn more? wanna challenge for UCL and be in a big team like Real Madrid?
Of course the kid wants yes, who wouldn't want all of this and say no?

The agents make a ton of money because they ensure that THE PLAYER makes a ton of money. If the agent isn't there, the player makes less. No two ways about it.

Yeah, there agent is happier if his player is making more money, because it automatically means more money to the agent. Also from every transfer certain % goes straight to the agent's pocket. How much do you think Raiola got from Pogba's transfer to United? 20M at minimu. Some sources say it was up to 50% of the transfer(just rumours)

And the player is 18 years old, AC Milan can be just a starting point in his career, show me where it's written that he has to be Maldini or Buffon, he can only be himself.

1 week ago Donnaruma:

I have a very strong bond with AC Milan. I'm looking for a home in Milan -- a big apartment where there is room for all of my dear ones, and since the centre of Milan is beautiful, that is where I am looking. I feel ready.

That was one big U-turn, but let's not forget about Fabian Delph, he said:

"I'm aware there has been intense media speculation surrounding my future in the last 24 hours and I want to set the record straight., I'm not leaving. I'm staying at the football club and I can't wait for the start of the season and captaining this great football club."

One week later he has signed for City.

Talk is cheap ;)

Raiola ruined Balotteli with his smart idea moves . Balotteli is rich and irrelevant . Good for him !

No he didn't, Balotelli ruined himself with his problematic attitude. But at least he's rich.

@Golazo That is still up to debate, Ballo was doing quite well at some team but he kept on moving, propably because his agent told him to do it. The moment where his career started taking a drop for the worse was when he joined Liverpool for sure. However, like you said, his attitude didn't help.

The agents are not making tons of money because the player is. The money they get are added to the total cost of the business. The clubs are not buying the agent nor paying for his services, therefore why they are the ones to "pay" for an agent of a player is to me wrong. It is the player who should pay for the services of the agent. Today the cost of the agents is insane and triggers up the prices at a pace never seen before. As if every player has to be bought with his agent.
The player should pay the agent with money that are not part of the transfer fee.

I'm going to go full pessimist here.

If the agent wants to screw over the player for the agent's benefit, the only way to do that is to make their player a f*ckton of money. If you want to call that screwed over, be me guest. Whereas if a club wants to screw over a player from a fiscal standpoint without an agent (or some other type of legal expert) they legally can.

Yeah, agents are pushing the market up. Because that means their clients (the players) make more money, and therefore they do as well. THAT ISN'T A BAD THING. Think about the astronomical amount of money that this sport makes worldwide. Now consider how much of that money makes it to the players - if it's more than 5-10%, I'd be shocked. Without agents, it'd be way below 1%. Without players, the game can't operate. Agents make sure that players are compensated for that. And at least when they get greedy and hungry for money - the player makes more money as well. Can't say that for any other entity.

I get what you're saying, but you're arguing for the club as an entity and not the player as a person. In any other business, this argument is unethical and frowned upon by literally everyone. And soccer is just that, a business. Let the workers maximize their income. Jesus Christ.

@Sunflash But... but... Donnaruma could have been an AC Milan legend! :P

@Sunflash But... but... Donnaruma could have been an AC Milan legend! :P

And if AC Milan don't want to pay for that privilege, why shouldn't he go somewhere else? Cause we both know someone else will.

@Sun Now your just being stingy Sun. :P But joking aside, if we listen to what you say, most player should just go to China where they would get crazy wage. :P

@Emobot7 Balotelli has been a bad boy from the very start of his career, his agent has nothing to do with his bad attitude, in Italian national team they wanted him to change and in the end he became worse, in Italy it's accepted that best players don't make best teams, even Graciano Pelle was kicked out after behaving bad.

People blame everything on the agent but it's the player that has all the responsibility of his actions.