Rafael Pimenta has recalled her dealings with Sir Alex Ferguson and working on Paul Pogba’s record-breaking move to Manchester United in a new interview.
Pimenta is regarded as one of football’s biggest agents having worked under Mino Raiolo before inheriting his client base following his death in 2022.
The Brazilian has represented some of football’s biggest names – including the likes of Juventus’ Paul Pogba and Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland – and has previously sat in on the majority of Railo’s meetings.
In an interview with The Guardian, Pimenta lifted the lid on some of the more notable negotiations of her career, including an intense encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking on the incident, Pimenta explained: ‘I cannot call that a meeting. I call it a train crash. It started bad, it ended bad.
Agent Rafaela Pimenta (L) reflected on her ‘train crash’ meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson (R)
Pimenta also revealed the details over Paul Pogba’s record-breaking move to Man United
‘Sir Alex came in and he was so angry that he hit the table and our tea spilled everywhere. He was totally red. Mino was totally angry. It was a disaster’.
As well as reflecting on the meeting with Ferguson, Pimenta also spoke on her close relationship with former Man United star Pogba.
She revealed how she played a major role in the midfielder’s record-breaking £100m move from Man United to Juventus and how she and Raiola orchestrated it so that the fee would surpass that of Gareth Bale’s transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.
She explained: ‘When Paul Pogba was transferred back to Manchester United [from Juventus in 2016] I said to Mino: ‘We need to fix the fee at Bale plus one euro’.
‘Mino said ‘Why?’ and I said ‘So we can break the world record of Jonathan Barnett [the agent who negotiated Gareth Bale‘s transfer from Spurs to Real Madrid for €100m]. It needs to be just €1 more than Bale.’ In the end it was more’.
Pogba and Pimenta share an extremely close relationship, with the football agent being present at all the momentous occasions in his established career.
‘I will always be there for Paul. He’s a part of my life and I’m grateful for the way he treated me and always gave us respect,’ Pimenta explained.
‘He’s a great person that has evolved so much, because I met him as a kid. He’s a father now, with three kids. So he changed so much and he will grow more.
Pimenta had worked beside super-agent Mino Raiola (L) prior to his death in 2022
Pimenta has a close relationship with Pogba having worked with him throughout her career
‘What I like about Paul is that whenever something negative happens, he does his best to find a lesson in it.’
Pogba eventually secured the record-breaking to United, after fierce negotiations from Raiola, Pimenta and their team.
The midfielder spent six years at Old Trafford before eventually leaving to re-join Juventus in 2022.
On August 20th, the Juventus midfielder tested positive for a banned substance following his side’s opening game of the season against Udinese and is facing a four-year ban.
