According to The Guardian, Rui Pinto, who leaked confidential documents and triggered a Premier League investigation into Manchester City's financial conduct, will no longer receive witness protection from Portuguese authorities. Documents obtained by The Guardian reveal that Portugal decided to revoke protective measures for the whistleblower on Wednesday.

Pinto was also advised to "be careful when contacting family members" and to avoid social media. The 37-year-old mastermind behind Football Leaks has held protected witness status since 2020, after agreeing to provide millions of documents he had gathered prior to his arrest to Portuguese authorities.

Portuguese police believe Pinto faces a low security risk, despite an assault against him in Lisbon in April and the ongoing Manchester City investigation. The assault reportedly left Pinto with bruised eyebrows; police were aware of the incident, but Pinto did not file a formal complaint.

In September 2023, Pinto received a four-year suspended sentence for attempted extortion, illegal data acquisition, and breach of communication laws. However, some regard him as a hero for leaking millions of confidential documents involving top clubs, players, and institutions in world football, including information about Manchester City's finances. This information was passed to German publication Der Spiegel and its partners in the European Investigative Collaborations network, which subsequently triggered investigations by UEFA and the Premier League.

Although Manchester City ultimately overturned their Champions League ban through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Premier League ruled on Tuesday that they had committed 114 breaches over nine seasons – Manchester City was accused of concealing over £900 million in funding through fake commercial contracts and falsified financial statements. Manchester City's appeal deadline is this Friday.

Since the Manchester City breach report emerged last week, Pinto has been highly active on social media. He described it as "a watershed moment for English football" and, in another post, criticized Manchester City's management, stating they are "completely out of control, defying everyone and everything." Pinto wrote: "From the start, they displayed total contempt for the rules, for the bodies responsible for overseeing and regulating the game, for competitive integrity, for other clubs, and most importantly, for the fans. Years of fraud, lies, and manipulation will finally have consequences."

Hours before confirming the loss of his protected witness status, Pinto also accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of "pulling strings" to ensure Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain faced only fines for violating UEFA Financial Fair Play rules during his tenure as UEFA General Secretary.

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