Whistleblower who first sparked Man City charges loses police protection

· Mirror

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League but towards them following a lengthy investigation and the man responsible for the probe has regularly spoken out

Rui Pinto, the founder of Football Leaks, has lost his police protection in the aftermath of Manchester City being found guilty. The Premier League side were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges that they were facing by an independent commission.

From City’s side, they maintain their innocence and are expected to lodge an appeal over the coming days. A sanction has not yet been forthcoming, with relegation, a points deduction and a considerable fine having all been mentioned.

There has also been drama for Pinto, whose Football Leaks website was behind the initial investigation into Man City’s doings. According to The Guardian, Pinto has seen his police protection withdrawn in Portugal, having previously been protected as a witness by authorities in the country since 2020.

He has also been told to “exercise caution with family contacts” and avoid social media. Pinto has already been active online in response to the landmark City verdict.

When reports of their guilty verdict started to come through, he said: “A historic decision for English football, and one that comes to crown the work I carried out through Football Leaks. Today, we all know that, through structural manipulation and financial manoeuvring, Manchester City did not merely circumvent the rules, they turned them into a mere formality, challenging any attempt to preserve the integrity of the competition.

> “That meticulously orchestrated fraud will finally be subject to punishment, and the impact will not merely be turbulent, but truly devastating for the Cityzens.

> “Ironically, I cannot help but remember Pep Guardiola's words at his first press conference as City manager: ‘Fasten your seat belts’.”

To the Premier League’s official statement, Pinto added: “It's official. The statement released today by the Premier League ultimately confirms, unequivocally, the truth of everything that was revealed through Football Leaks.

> “The Independent Commission is also particularly harsh in the way it characterises the actions taken by Manchester City executives, who, without a shadow of a doubt, acted with complete impunity, challenging everyone and everything.

> “From the very beginning, they have demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the rules, for the bodies responsible for overseeing and regulating the game, for the integrity of the competition, for the other clubs and, above all, for the fans. Years and years of cheating, lying and manipulation will finally have consequences.”

Pinto, 37, was given a suspended four-year sentence in September 2023 after being found guilty on counts of attempted extortion, illegal access to data and breach of correspondence.

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