Rui Pinto, the 37-year-old Portuguese self-taught computer hacker who launched Football Leaks and exposed financial irregularities at Manchester City, lost his state-backed police protection less than 24 hours after the Premier League announced its regulatory verdict. The decision by the Portuguese police to terminate the witness protection program leaves the whistleblower vulnerable just as the fallout from his digital archives reaches a peak across European football.
Pinto leaked documents detailing Manchester City financial schemes
Between 2016 and 2018, Pinto leaked more than 70 million confidential documents to the European Investigative Journalists Association and the German magazine Der Spiegel. Operating under the pseudonym “John” from 2015 onward, the autodidact gathered internal records detailing enormous player salaries for Lionel Messi and Neymar, contract disputes involving Cristiano Ronaldo, and a nine-season financial scheme at Manchester City. Independent committee findings later established that Manchester City operated a disguised funding mechanism between 2009 and 2018, channeling more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from its parent company, the Abu Dhabi United Group, through fictitious sponsorship agreements.
When the Premier League officially found Manchester City guilty on 114 of 115 charges for breaching rule 115, Pinto publicly celebrated the ruling as a historic moment for English football, writing on social media that years of deception had finally caught up with the club. Yet the reward for exposing the documents that triggered both the Premier League case and a separate UEFA investigation was immediate legal jeopardy across multiple European jurisdictions.
Arrest in Budapest and Multiple Court Trials Across Europe
Hungarian authorities arrested Pinto in Budapest in January 2019 under a European arrest warrant, extraditing him to Portugal two months later to face 147 charges including unauthorized computer access, breach of privacy, and extortion. Pinto consistently argued that he acted solely as a whistleblower serving the public interest. After spending over a year split between solitary confinement and house arrest, a Portuguese court sentenced him in September 2023 to a four-year suspended prison term. A separate French court convicted him in 2023 for hacking emails belonging to Paris Saint-Germain executives, handing down a six-month suspended sentence. In April 2026, a Portuguese court acquitted Pinto of 241 additional charges.
During criminal proceedings initiated in August 2020, authorities enrolled Pinto in the Portuguese police witness protection program after he handed over millions of confidential records to assist prosecutors. That security arrangement collapsed on October 10, 2026, when police assessed his risk level as low and dissolved the protective measures. Officials advised Pinto simply to exercise caution when contacting family members and to avoid social media platforms.
Escalating Threats and the End of Police Protection
The withdrawal of state security leaves Pinto exposed to dangers, as his joint legal team in Portugal and France emphasized. Lawyers representing the hacker pointed out that threats against him are not theoretical, noting that he was attacked in Lisbon last April. The legal team emphasized that Pinto’s disclosures targeted influential figures possessing unlimited resources.
Hours before losing his protection status, Pinto drew intense public and professional scrutiny by issuing a statement labeling FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a cancer on football. The combined Portuguese and French defense team condemned the act, warning that abandoning the whistleblower exposes him to retaliation from powerful entities within the sport.
Rui Pinto launched Football Leaks to expose fraud
When did Rui Pinto start Football Leaks?
Pinto launched the Football Leaks website in 2015 under the pseudonym “John” to expose fraudulent financial activities within the global football industry.
What specific charges did Rui Pinto face in Portugal?
Pinto was initially charged with 147 offenses, including unauthorized computer access, violation of privacy, and extortion, before receiving a four-year suspended sentence in September 2023 and subsequent acquittals in April 2026.
Why was the witness protection program canceled?
The Portuguese police terminated Pinto’s protection on October 10, 2026, citing a low security risk assessment.
What financial amount was involved in the Manchester City case triggered by the leaks?
An independent committee concluded that Manchester City disguised more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) in funding from the Abu Dhabi United Group between 2009 and 2018.
