Manchester City whistleblower Rui Pinto to leave Portugal over safety fears

Rui Pinto has revealed he is preparing to leave Portugal because he fears for his safety after being informed that his participation in the country’s witness protection programme has been terminated.

The Football Leaks founder claimed he has received “multiple death threats” and is facing “the serious risk of an assassination attempt against me” after being informed of the decision by Portuguese authorities on Wednesday. That came two days after Manchester City were found guilty of more than 100 charges by an independent commission – an investigation that was prompted by Pinto’s leaks of thousands of private documents.

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He said in a statement on Friday that the timing and circumstances of the decision to end his witness protection had left him facing a serious threat to his safety. “On 30 September 2026, just hours after the verdict officially confirming Manchester City’s guilt, the commission responsible for Portugal’s witness protection programme informed me of its decision to terminate my participation in the programme and withdraw my police protection, thereby knowingly placing me in a life-threatening situation,” he wrote on X.

“Given these circumstances, I have no alternative but to relocate, within the next few days, to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period of time, due to the multiple death threats I have received and the serious risk of an assassination attempt against me. For this reason, I have just set up a GoFundMe campaign and I am asking for everyone’s support to help me survive this serious situation created by the Portuguese state, which, as I have already stated, has knowingly decided to place my life at risk.”

The GoFundMe campaign’s target has been set at €3m (£2.55m) and had received €4,000 in the first half-hour after it was posted. “I would like to take this opportunity to extend a special thanks to everyone who continues to support Football Leaks, and I can give everyone one guarantee: the fight will most certainly continue,” Pinto added.

Earlier, the 37-year-old’s lawyers confirmed that they will appeal against the decision that was taken by the Portuguese authorities and said ending his protection would leave him “more vulnerable than at any point since 2020”. They argued that it was taken without giving him an opportunity to be heard and have described the circumstances surrounding it as a “failure to respect the rule of law”.

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In a request to Portugal’s Ministry of Justice, the lawyers asked the government to reconsider the decision, disclose the material on which the latest risk assessment was based and ensure that his protection continues.

“His situation is now critical,” said his lawyers in a statement. “The threats against him are not merely theoretical: last April, he was assaulted in Lisbon. His revelations implicated powerful individuals with substantial resources, and many of the resulting legal proceedings are still ongoing, as demonstrated by the decision issued just a few days ago by the Premier League’s independent commission concerning Manchester City. Abruptly deprived of his protected residence and placed in a situation of extreme precariousness, Rui Pinto will now be more vulnerable than at any point since 2020.”

Pinto entered Portugal’s protection programme after cooperating with the country’s justice authorities. His revelations have subsequently been used by judicial, tax and sporting authorities across Europe, including the Premier League’s investigation into City’s alleged financial irregularities. Pinto’s lawyers argue that the authorities should take into account both his cooperation with the justice system and the continuing risks associated with his disclosures before ending his protection.

“This decision, and the manner in which it was taken, regrettably fail to respect the rule of law and constitute an act of state terrorism. We cannot accept this,” they added.