Photo via BBC Sport

Man City whistleblower to remain in witness protection

The Portuguese whistleblower Rui Pinto, founder of the Football Leaks operation, will remain under witness protection after Portugal’s Ministry of Justice reversed a decision to remove him from the program. Pinto, who has faced legal consequences for his actions—including a four-year suspended sentence for hacking and extortion—had been set to exit protection on Saturday, a move he argued could endanger his life.

His case stems from leaked documents shared with *Der Spiegel* in 2018, which exposed alleged financial irregularities at Manchester City, leading to the club’s recent guilty verdict on Premier League financial fair play violations for the 2009–10 to 2017–18 seasons. City have since appealed the ruling.

Pinto, who has described himself as a whistleblower, criticized the initial decision as a legal violation, calling it an 'abuse of power' after authorities failed to properly notify him of the termination grounds or allow him to contest it. He will now review a risk assessment indicating a low threat to his safety before making a final decision on his status.

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