CONVICTED Football Leaks hacker Rui Pinto has broken his silence on Manchester City’s reported guilty verdict, warning the punishment could be devastating.
The Portuguese whistleblower, whose bombshell cache of confidential documents helped spark investigations into City’s finances, hailed the development as an “historic decision for English football“.
City have reportedly been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League following a long-running battle over alleged financial breaches.
The potential sanctions have yet to be determined and City, who launched a fresh statement insisting they will be cleared on Saturday, are expected to appeal the findings.
But Pinto, 37, believes the reported verdict vindicates the work he carried out through Football Leaks.
He wrote on X: “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.”
Pinto then aimed a cheeky dig at City by recalling Pep Guardiola‘s famous message after arriving at the Etihad in 2016.
He added: “Ironically, I cannot help but remember Pep Guardiola‘s words at his first press conference as City manager: ‘Fasten your seat belts’.”
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Pinto was the man behind Football Leaks, which released millions of confidential documents and sent shockwaves through European football.
Material obtained by Pinto and subsequently investigated by German publication Der Spiegel included internal City emails concerning sponsorship arrangements and payments.
Those revelations helped trigger scrutiny from Uefa before the Premier League launched its own investigation into City’s finances.
City were eventually charged in February 2023 with more than 100 alleged breaches following a four-year Premier League investigation.
The bulk of the charges concerned alleged breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, while others related to the club’s alleged failure to cooperate with the league’s investigation.
Pinto’s own methods have made him a controversial figure.
He was arrested in Hungary in 2019 before being extradited to Portugal and later convicted of offences including illegal access to computer systems, violation of correspondence and attempted extortion.
Pinto received a four-year suspended prison sentence in 2023 but has maintained that his Football Leaks activities were carried out in the public interest.
He subsequently became a protected witness and has assisted authorities with investigations after giving Portuguese police access to encrypted material in his possession.
Pinto was more recently acquitted in a separate case involving hundreds of charges connected to his activities.
His intervention comes after reports on Friday claimed the independent commission had found City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges they faced.
However, City’s battle is far from over, with the club expected to appeal and the Premier League process still ongoing.
A City spokesperson said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.
“As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.”
City have always strongly denied the allegations and previously said they welcomed the opportunity for an independent commission to consider what they described as a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting their position.