Rui Pinto’s protection ends as his disclosures underpin City case
The Guardian reports Portuguese authorities assessed the whistleblower’s safety risk as low, despite a reported assault in April. Manchester City denies wrongdoing and is expected to appeal findings in the Premier League case.
Portuguese whistleblower Rui Pinto will no longer receive witness protection after authorities assessed his safety risk as low, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. The decision comes despite a reported assault in April. Pinto has been protected since 2020.
Pinto was advised to exercise caution with family contacts and avoid social media, according to the report. It did not include an official statement from Portuguese authorities detailing the assessment.
Pinto founded Football Leaks, which supplied millions of confidential documents to journalists. Those disclosures formed the basis of Premier League charges against Manchester City.
The Premier League found City guilty of all but one of 115 charges this week, according to the source report. The club denies wrongdoing and is expected to appeal; the material does not confirm whether an appeal has been filed.
Pinto was sentenced in Portugal in 2023 and acquitted on 241 separate counts in a separate trial in 2026, the report said.
