Rui Pinto, the Football Leaks hacker behind the Manchester City case, loses witness protection

Rui Pinto, the Portuguese computer hacker whose release of confidential football documents helped spark the Premier League investigation into Manchester City's finances, is about to be removed from Portugal's witness protection programme. The decision takes effect on 10 October, despite the Football Leaks founder's insistence that his life is in danger and that he has received numerous death threats.

• Rui Pinto is set to lose his protected witness status in Portugal on 10 October.
• The Football Leaks founder says the decision puts him at serious risk of an assassination attempt.
• Pinto handed documents about Manchester City's finances to Der Spiegel in 2018.
• Manchester City have been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules and are appealing.
• Pinto has also attacked FIFA president Gianni Infantino in recent days.

Who is Rui Pinto and how did he fuel the Manchester City case?

Rui Pinto created Football Leaks, the platform that exposed a vast amount of confidential football material: contracts, emails and financial records belonging to clubs, agents and governing bodies. In 2018 he shared a series of files linked to Manchester City with the German magazine Der Spiegel, which used them for multiple investigations into the club's spending and alleged breaches of financial fair play.

Those reports helped pave the way for the Premier League's long-running case against the English side. Last week, Manchester City were found guilty of breaching the competition's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, a verdict the club has appealed.

End of witness protection in Portugal and fears of an assassination attempt

Pinto entered Portugal's witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities and provide files obtained through Football Leaks. The Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crimes in Portugal has now decided to terminate his participation.

In a post on X, Pinto described the move as a life-threatening situation. He says he has no alternative but to relocate to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period because of multiple death threats and the serious risk of an assassination attempt. The Portuguese commission approached by BBC Sport has not commented so far.

His lawyers issued a statement in the same vein, arguing that the end of the programme increases his exposure, particularly because several legal proceedings linked to the leaks remain ongoing, including the case against Manchester City.

Pinto's criminal record and the bulletproof vest at his first trial

Pinto has long described himself as a whistleblower, but in Portugal he has also been convicted. He received a four-year suspended sentence for offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion. During his first trial in 2020 he wore a bulletproof vest and faced heightened security measures.

Earlier this year he was acquitted in a second trial over 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts belonging to Portuguese sports bodies, including Benfica.

Pinto turns his fire on FIFA president Gianni Infantino

Pinto's public activity has not slowed down. On Wednesday he aimed his criticism at FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying he had become a blight on football. Pinto repeated allegations first made in 2018 that Infantino intervened to help Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain avoid financial fair play sanctions from UEFA.

The comments come at a delicate moment for Infantino, who has faced growing scrutiny over controversial plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.

Fundraising campaign and accusations against the Portuguese state

Pinto has launched a fundraising page to help him cope with what he calls a severe situation. He claims the problem has been created by the Portuguese state, which is withdrawing a protection he considers essential while proceedings linked to the Football Leaks disclosures remain unresolved.