Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto disclosed the mounting financial pressures of his legal defense and clandestine living arrangements after Portuguese authorities terminated his participation in the country’s witness protection program, record.pt reported.
Financial Demands of the Football Leaks Cases in Portugal
Pinto detailed the specific figures tied to ongoing judicial proceedings in Portuguese courts through public statements on social media. The financial liabilities span multiple dockets, creating a significant monetary burden as his legal team responds to various claims and investigations.
In Case 6255/15.9TDLSB, Pinto faces a minimum of 19,078 euros in compensation claims. A much larger financial threat looms in Case 1178/19.5TELSB, where damages could reach a minimum of 1,000,000 euros should an existing acquittal be successfully revoked. Meanwhile, the financial toll of Case 456/20.5TELSB remains undetermined because that specific matter is still under active investigation by authorities in Portugal.
“Everything is being handled with the utmost transparency possible and in coordination with my legal team,” Pinto stated regarding the management of these mounting legal costs.
Security Termination Follows Manchester City Financial Verdict
The decision to strip Pinto of state protection arrived abruptly on a Wednesday in October 2026, just hours after the Premier League announced that Manchester City had been found guilty of nearly all 115 charges involving alleged financial rule breaches over a two-decade span, pt.euronews.com reported. Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League, called the disciplinary process and decision the most significant in the league’s history.
The Commission responsible for Portugal’s witness protection program notified Pinto that his special security arrangements, active since August 2020, would officially end on October 10. Pinto asserted that the timing deliberately exposed him to severe danger. “The Commission responsible for the witness protection program of Portugal informed me of its decision to put an end to my participation in the program and to withdraw my police protection, thus placing me, consciously, in a life-threatening situation,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Pinto Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Security and Subsistence
Faced with the abrupt withdrawal of state security and multiple death threats, Pinto launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to cover basic subsistence and security expenses. Legal representatives emphasized that the danger is immediate and practical rather than theoretical, noting that Pinto was physically assaulted in Lisbon in April.
Addressing the public response to the fundraising effort, Pinto expressed gratitude to contributors while noting that the campaign’s maximum target serves as an exploratory figure given the unpredictability of his situation. “In the worst-case scenario, how much does it really cost to live in clandestinity for an indeterminate period of time and deal with everything that implies?” Pinto asked. “Living in clandestinity is not simply a matter of finding a place to stay. There are expenses for accommodation, food, transportation, documentation, communication, and other basic costs of subsistence to consider… one thing is certain: it will not be cheap.”
Police Protection for Pinto Expires in October 2026
Pinto's police protection and specialized security status under the Portuguese witness protection scheme are scheduled to expire definitively on October 10, 2026, leaving the whistleblower to manage his legal defense and personal safety independently.
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