Football Leaks whistleblower Rui Pinto is set to lose his witness protection status in Portugal, his legal team said on Friday, days after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Pinto, whose disclosures helped trigger scrutiny of Manchester City’s finances, entered Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to co-operate with authorities and provide files obtained through the Football Leaks operation.
City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations over nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18, as well as three of four charges concerning failures to co-operate with the investigation.
The league said this week City had used “sham” commercial contracts to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900m (R19bn) over nearly a decade, resulting in inaccurate financial reporting and breaches of spending rules.
In a few days, without being heard beforehand, as required by law, he would lose the protected, confidential residence assigned to him and be forced to find new housing urgently, with no guarantee that police protection will continue
— Legal team
City have denied wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict.
“In a few days, without being heard beforehand, as required by law, he would lose the protected, confidential residence assigned to him and be forced to find new housing urgently, with no guarantee that police protection will continue,” Pinto’s legal team said in a statement posted on his X account.
Assaulted in Lisbon
“His situation is now critical. The threats against him are not merely theoretical; he was assaulted in Lisbon last April.”
Launched in 2015, Football Leaks published millions of confidential documents from the football industry, including transfer agreements, contracts and other deals involving clubs, players and agents.
Football Leaks’ data seen by Reuters showed how some of the richest and most prominent figures in soccer avoided tax by channelling earnings offshore.
Pinto was arrested in Hungary in 2019 before being extradited to Portugal, where he later co-operated with authorities and was placed under witness protection.
If abruptly deprived of his protected housing and plunged into a state of extreme precariousness, Rui Pinto would be more vulnerable now than at any time since 2020
His lawyers said the programme would end on Saturday October 10 and argued that the decision had left him at heightened risk, noting that legal proceedings stemming from the leaks remained ongoing, including the recent Manchester City case.
“If abruptly deprived of his protected housing and plunged into a state of extreme precariousness, Rui Pinto would be more vulnerable now than at any time since 2020,” the statement said.
Portugal’s justice ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Landmark ruling
The UK’s Liberal Democrats have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to disclose any meetings he has held with Manchester City owners, Abu Dhabi representatives or related entities, stepping up criticism of his comments following the landmark ruling against the club.
Burnham, who served as mayor of Greater Manchester from May 2017 to June 2026, had earlier this week expressed concern about City’s owners potentially selling the club, saying they had been “a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester” and “in turning the club into a global force”.
Burnham’s comments drew heavy criticism from opposition politicians.
“Football fans up and down the country deserve to know that the rules apply to everyone, however rich and powerful they are,” Anna Sabine, the party’s spokesperson for culture, media and sport, told Burnham in a letter.
“When the prime minister leaps to the defence of a club’s owners within hours of a verdict, people are entitled to ask what their relationship is. Andy Burnham must come clean and publish details of every meeting and conversation he has had with City Football Group, Abu Dhabi United Group or UAE government representatives, going back to his time as mayor — and that includes any hospitality freebies received.”
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.