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

Pinto has also been ordered to "be cautious in contacting his family" and avoid using social media. The 37-year-old operator of the "Football Leaks" website has been under whistleblower protection since 2020 after agreeing to hand over millions of documents he had compiled before his arrest to Portuguese authorities.

Portuguese police believe Pinto faces low security risk, despite an attack he suffered in Lisbon in April. The ongoing Manchester City investigation has reports that the attack left Pinto with bruising above his eyebrow, and although police were made aware of the incident, he did not file an official report.

In September 2023, Pinto was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of attempted extortion, illegal access to data, and violation of communications privacy. However, some supporters view him as a whistleblower who exposed millions of confidential documents involving leading clubs, players, and organizations across world football, including Manchester City's financial records. These documents were sent to German publication Der Spiegel and partners in the European Investigative Collaborations network, leading to separate investigations by UEFA and the Premier League.

Although Manchester City eventually overturned a Champions League ban through sports arbitration, the Premier League ruled on Tuesday that the club committed 114 breaches over nine seasons. Manchester City was accused of concealing over 900 million pounds in funding through false commercial contracts and created accounts. Manchester City has until Friday to appeal.

Since Manchester City's violations were reported last week, Pinto has been active on social media in an unusual manner. He described it as a "historic decision for English football" and in other posts criticized Manchester City executives, calling them "completely without limits, challenging everyone and everything." Pinto wrote: "From the start, they showed complete contempt for the regulations, for the bodies responsible for governing and managing the game, for the integrity of competition, for other clubs, and most importantly for the fans. Deception, lies, and distortion for so many years will finally have consequences."

Hours before his whistleblower status was confirmed to be revoked, Pinto also accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of "doing everything possible" during his time as UEFA general secretary to ensure that Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain would face only fines for UEFA Financial Fair Play violations.

แปลโดย AI

เว็บไซต์ AF เปิดตัวแล้ว! ดูข่าว ความคิดเห็น รายละเอียดแมตช์ และสถิติครบถ้วนบนคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ เยี่ยมชม: www.allfootballapp.com