A whistleblower whose documents triggered the Premier League’s probe into Manchester City now faces losing his witness protection, according to his own account. Rui Pinto says the decision leaves his life at risk.
Pinto, a Portuguese computer hacker aged 37, published a batch of private football papers in 2018. Among the materials were emails and financial records tied to an English Premier League club. The German publication Der Spiegel drew on these documents for its own probe into the club’s money and suspected violations of financial fair play laws.
All charges against City relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations for the periods between 2009-10 and 2017-18 were upheld. The club has since lodged an appeal.
Pinto’s protection case
Portugal’s witness protection programme welcomed Pinto into it in 2020, after he agreed to work with authorities and share documents gathered through the Football Leaks investigation. On Friday, he wrote on X that the programme’s decision to end his involvement on 10 October has left him in a “life-threatening situation”.
Because of “multiple death threats” and “the serious risk of an assassination attempt”, he said he had no choice but to move to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period.
The Portuguese Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes has been asked for a statement by BBC Sport.
His legal record
The man calls himself a whistleblower, yet he was found guilty in Portugal of crimes including illegal access to data and attempted extortion. The verdict carried a four-year suspended sentence.
A bulletproof vest was part of his outfit for his first trial in 2020, where security arrangements were stepped up. He was cleared earlier this year at a second trial on 241 charges of unlawfully entering email accounts linked to several Portuguese sports organizations, among them Benfica.
Targeting Fifa
On Wednesday, Pinto turned his attention to Fifa president Gianni Infantino. He said he had “become a cancer on football” and should “have no place in the future of the game”.
Pinto repeated the claims made by 2018, which say that Infantino stepped in to assist City and Paris St-Germain in avoiding financial fair play punishments from Uefa, the organisation that governs European football.
Infantino’s position has recently come under increased pressure following controversial plans to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions, such as the World Cup, to private investors.
What the lawyers say
On Friday, lawyers for Pinto released a statement warning that the decision to withdraw him from the witness protection programme had put him in greater danger. The statement also pointed out that legal action tied to the leaks continues, including the case against Manchester City.
Pinto has set up a fundraising page to help him “survive this serious situation”, which he claims was “created by the Portuguese State”.
The timeline
- 2018: Pinto releases documents, Der Spiegel investigates.
- 2020: Pinto joins Portugal’s witness protection programme.
- 2020: First trial, bulletproof vest worn.
- This year: Acquittal on 241 counts of illegal access.
- Wednesday: Pinto targets Infantino.
- Friday: Decision to end protection confirmed.
| Stage | Year | Key event |
|---|---|---|
| Documents released | 2018 | Pinto shares emails and financial records |
| Protection granted | 2020 | Pinto joins witness protection programme |
| First trial | 2020 | Bulletproof vest worn |
| Acquittal | This year | 241 counts dismissed |
| Infantino targeted | Wednesday | Pinto calls him a “cancer” |
| Protection ended | Friday | Decision confirmed |
Our view
Pinto’s account is now that of a man whose work sparked an inquiry into a club, and who now finds himself under threat of death. He was informed he would be stripped of his witness protection, and he reacted by relocating to an undisclosed spot. The move leaves him vulnerable at a time when his work keeps attracting notice, including his recent attack on Infantino.
He sought state protection, yet now that very safeguard is under threat, which leaves him claiming the situation was “created by the Portuguese State”. The implication is that a system that once promised him security has turned against him.
The case for Pinto rests on his own admission that he has no other choice. He wants the public to support his survival, arguing that the circumstances he now faces were brought about by the state itself.
Source material: “Man City whistleblower to lose witness protection,” the BBC.
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