Football agent Raiola and Malta firm get three-month ban from Italian FA

Football agent Mino Raiola has been banned from transfer activity for three months.

The Italian FA, FIGC, published a press release which says Raiola and his Malta company Three Sports Business has been suspended from 'activity of sports prosecutor' for three months between May 9 - August 9, while his cousin Vincenzo has been suspended for two months.

No reasons for this suspension were listed, although reports suggest the issue stems from the transfer of Gianluca Scamacca to PSV in 2015, when AS Roma were unhappy with the way the player left the club.

Raiola brokered Paul Pogba's world record move from Juventus to Manchester United, while also bringing Zlatan Ibrahimović and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the club.

Raiola has denied any wrongdoing and will appeal against the three-month ban, which bans him for the majority of the summer transfer window in Italy, which closes on August 18.

Vincenzo Raiola, cousin and business partner of Mino, has also been suspended for two months, although it is as yet unclear why the two men have been banned.

Mino Raiola's lawyer, Massimo Diana, has confirmed he will appeal against the suspension, which could prevent Raiola's clients signing for Italian clubs this summer.

"Mr Raiola has always complied with the regulations of the Italian Football Federation," Diana said. "Therefore Mr Raiola cannot find any other ground for his suspension, apart from the fact that he has criticised the Italian Federation in the past."

"In any event, before the start of the upcoming transfer window, Mr Raiola will demonstrate that the Italian Federation took liberties with the facts and its own regulations and therefore we are confident he will be free to act as an intermediary for the upcoming transfer window also in Italy."

In a strongly worded statement, Raiola accused Italian football of being in a "disastrous state" and said the decision to ban him is based on "false grounds and lies".

"I will seek justice against this injustice and for freedom of speech in every legal court possible to me as my main task is the interest of Italian football," he said. "I will proudly conduct this fight in order to obtain what it is in conformity with law."