Rui Pinto hits out at Gianni Infantino: 'He should have no place in football's future'

Rui Pinto, the founder of Football Leaks whose released documents sparked the Premier League investigation into Manchester City, has declared that Gianni Infantino "should have no place in the future of the game". The Portuguese computer hacker has revived accusations first made in 2018 that place the current FIFA president at the centre of decisions that allowed City and Paris Saint-Germain to escape tougher punishment for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

• Manchester City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period and have until 2 October to lodge an appeal.
• Pinto claims Infantino, then UEFA general secretary, intervened in 2014 so City and PSG received only fines instead of facing a potential Champions League ban.
• The allegations are based on documents released by Der Spiegel from Football Leaks material.
• The Swiss Football Association has withdrawn its support for Infantino, who plans to stand for a fourth term in March 2027.

Who is Rui Pinto and what role did he play in the Manchester City case

Rui Pinto, 37, is the man behind Football Leaks, one of the largest platforms for leaked contracts, agreements and internal moves in European football. Information that entered the public domain in 2018 through the website and was published by German outlet Der Spiegel prompted the Premier League to open an investigation into Manchester City's accounts. The English league has concluded that the club broke its financial rules over nine years, although City deny any wrongdoing and are preparing an appeal.

UEFA also opened its own case following those revelations. Pinto's journey has been far from straightforward: beyond his role as a whistleblower, he has faced legal proceedings in Portugal and has been described both as a transparency champion and as a cybercriminal.

The allegations against Infantino over Financial Fair Play sanctions

In a message posted on X, Pinto repeated the accusations that circulated in 2018: according to the leaked documents, Manchester City and PSG inflated sponsorship deals to meet Financial Fair Play requirements. When the two clubs were facing possible UEFA sanctions, the documents alleged, Infantino helped arrange more lenient punishments that were settled in 2014 without a deeper investigation.

Back in 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City. The infamous Gianni Infantino, then UEFA general secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and outmanoeuvred the investigatory chamber, doing everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and PSG would merely receive a fine, avoiding a deeper investigation that could have led to a Champions League ban.

PSG denied the allegations in a statement at the time, saying the club had always acted in full compliance with the laws and regulations enacted by sports institutions. The French club added that, since the introduction of Financial Fair Play, it had been one of the most audited and scrutinised clubs in history.

Pinto went further in his personal assessment, describing Infantino as "a cancer on football" and insisting that all those details had come to light thanks to Football Leaks.

How UEFA and Infantino responded to the original leaks

When the allegations first emerged, UEFA stressed that assisting in such matters fell within the general secretary's remit. European football's governing body explained that the job could include discussions, meetings and other interactions designed to support the investigating body in its work.

Infantino rejected any negative interpretation of his actions. He argued that his role required him to hold conversations and exchange documents, drafts and ideas on a huge range of topics, and that if this was being portrayed as something bad, there was little he could do beyond doing his job honestly and professionally while defending the interests of football.

Growing pressure on the FIFA president

Pinto's comments come at a difficult moment for Infantino. His plan to sell stakes in the World Cup was shelved after drawing criticism, and UEFA even accused him of "criminal mismanagement" over the FIFA Forward Enterprise project. Meanwhile, the Swiss Football Association has joined the list of bodies withdrawing their backing for the FIFA chief.

The Swiss federation justified its decision after a comprehensive reassessment of developments over recent months. According to its statement, several incidents raise fundamental questions about leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes within FIFA.

A fourth term on the horizon for the FIFA election

Infantino was first elected FIFA president in 2016 and is now preparing to run for a fourth term in March 2027. Whoever wants to challenge him has until 18 November to put forward an alternative candidate. The BBC has contacted FIFA following Pinto's latest statement, amid growing uncertainty over the future of the governing body and its most powerful figure.