Rui Pinto's Manchester City leaks stir debate on his motives
The Guardian Sport • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 1, 2026, 6:40 PM
Last updated Oct 1, 2026

Rui Pinto, the whistleblower behind the Football Leaks website, has reignited discussion following a guilty verdict against Manchester City from a Premier League commission. Historically, Pinto's leaks led to investigations by UEFA and the Premier League regarding the club's financial practices. While he accuses Manchester City executives of 'cheating', Pinto is reportedly concerned for his safety. His recent social media activity also targeted FIFA president Gianni Infantino, further complicating his position. The situation continues to evolve as more reactions surface.
- •Rui Pinto prompted investigations into Manchester City's finances.
- •He claims Manchester City's executives lack respect for the rules.
- •Pinto expresses concerns for his safety amid recent developments.
- •He has directed criticism toward FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
- 6:40 PMThe Guardian Sport — Criminal or saviour? Manchester City whistleblower Rui Pinto splits opinion
"Pinto, whose leaks of private documents prompted the investigation into Manchester City, is understood to fear for his safety More than a decade after Rui Pinto set up the Football Leaks website in a crusade triggered by the Fifa scandal in 2015, he finds himself in the middle of a growing storm. The former history student with trademark spiky hair who used to make extra cash selling books about the second world war has not held back with his statements on social media since Manchester City’s guilty verdict from an independent Premier League commission. The first targets for Pinto, whose leaks of private documents prompted first Uefa then the Premier League to investigate City’s financial affairs, were what he alleged were the club’s “cheating” executives for demonstrating “a complete lack of respect for the rules”. On Wednesday he turned his attention to the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino. Continue reading...
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 7:35 PMCeltic miss out on highly-rated teenage target as Premier League move is agreed
EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 7:18 PMThe four 'what next?' scenarios for Premier League after Man City ruling- EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 6:08 PMNations League: Wales make five changes to face Haaland's Norway
EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 3:47 PMSecond Premier League star within a month rolls car near training facility
EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 3:38 PMMan City to argue sponsorship deals came from Abu Dhabi government
EPL•Oct 1, 2026, 2:45 PMVictor Munoz reveals World Cup lesson that could help his Liverpool career
